Pakatan MPs get ticked off for pushing Ivermectin as Covid-19 ‘cure’

 

Five MPs from PKR and two from Amanah claim that India and the Philippines had successfully used Ivermectin to treat Covid-19 without any reported side effects. (AFP pic)

PETALING JAYA: Netizens and medical practitioners have criticised several opposition MPs for pushing the health ministry to approve the use of Ivermectin to treat Covid-19 patients.

Twitter user Dr Khairul Hafidz in a series of tweets expressed disappointment that many Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders were pushing for the off-label use of the anti-parasitic drug for Covid-19.

“We, in the medical industry, have been giving explanations about the issue on social media, but all our efforts will go to waste with the support of PH leaders (for the drug) in Parliament. Wait for our local data!” he said.

Earlier today, the use of Ivermectin to treat Covid-19 patients became a heated topic in the Dewan Rakyat with several opposition MPs pushing for it to be used immediately. Health minister Dr Adham Baba, however, stood firm on waiting for data first.

The MPs, who were from PKR and Amanah, claimed that India and the Philippines had successfully used Ivermectin to treat Covid-19 without any reported side effects. However, they failed to mention that the health authorities in both countries have never announced this publicly.

The MPs calling for the use of the drug were Amanah president Mohamad Sabu (Kota Raja), Khalid Samad (Shah Alam), Sivarasa Rasiah (Sungei Buloh), Johari Abdul (Sungei Petani), Sim Tze Tzin (Bayan Baru), William Leong (Selayang) and P Prabakaran (Batu).

Meanwhile, Azrul Khalib, chief executive officer of the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy tweeted that it was “disturbing” to see many opposition MPs believing Ivermectin to be a “miracle drug that will cure #COVID19”.

He urged Adham and the health ministry to stand firm on existing Covid-19 treatment policies and guidelines.

Meanwhile, former consultant pharmacist @BeeLengMY1 said it was “weird” that many of these PH MPs were pushing for the off-label use of the medicine. “Are they doctors?” she asked.

She then urged former health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad, who is also Pakatan Harapan’s Covid-19 Task Force chairman, to stop such discussions by opposition MPs who are not medical professionals.

“Align the Talk Strategy, no more contract doctor discussion. Focus on Covid-19 control!”

Recently, the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) said none of them are currently using Ivermectin.

APHM president Dr Kuljit Singh said private hospitals have been treating Covid-19 patients since January by following the health ministry and international medical societies’ evidence-based guidelines.

In June, the health ministry said hospitals are allowed to apply to the Drug Control Authority for the off-label use of the drug, including treating Covid-19 patients, but in a controlled environment.

The ministry and its Institute for Clinical Research had also began clinical trials to study the effects and effectiveness of the drug to treat high-risk Covid-19 patients in 12 government hospitals since early June. - FMT