- Doctor George Coetzee, launched an urgent application, together with two of his patients, for permission to be able to use ivermectin as a treatment.
- Dr George Coetzee said his patients urgently required the administration of ivermectin in the treatment of Covid-19.
Mbabane: While it is critical to find a lasting solution to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ivermectin may well be the “wonder drug” that could be a remedy and save lives.
This is according to Pretoria East (South Africa) doctor George Coetzee, who launched an urgent application, together with two of his patients, for permission to be able to use ivermectin as a treatment.
IOL news in South Africa reported on Monday that a group of doctors, including a Silverton medical practitioner, will meet the government in court on February 2 in a legal bid to have Ivermectin approved for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
Dr George Coetzee, among others, as well as lobby group AfriForum, filed papers in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, against Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize and the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority.
They are asking the court to review and set aside the failure of the regulatory authority to approve the Section 21 applications and to order that Ivermectin is a safe drug for use by humans. This, they say, is subject to it being properly administered in a controlled manner under the management of a treating medical practitioner.
The applicants will also ask for a declaratory order that qualified medical doctors and pharmacists are entitled in terms of the Medicines Act to compound medicine on the prescription of a medical practitioner, which includes Ivermectin.
Dr George Coetzee said his patients urgently required the administration of ivermectin in the treatment of Covid-19.
AfriForum, which is part of the urgent application due to be heard by the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria next week, represents a class of persons who have contracted Covid-19 and want to use the drug.
A leading front-line doctor from the US says there is growing evidence for the use of Ivermectin against Covid-19 and that it could be a complementary bridge until the vaccine is widely available.
Pulmonary and critical care specialist Pierre Kory says, “It is certainly another tool in the toolkit and we need everything we can to go after this pandemic”.
Meanwhile, in Eswatini this drug was costing mere less than E20 but it has seen its prices going up to E700 as there have been reports both locally and internationally that the tablet could be the next best thing to treat COVID-19.
The tablet, according to experts, ordinarily costs no more than E20 and is ordinarily used for killing parasites in the body (deworming) and treatment of external parasites like head lice.
Ivermectin is also used for animals such as dogs for heartworm and parasites which stick to the skin.
Speaking to the Times of Eswatini, Director of Health Services Dr Vusi Magagula acknowledge the drug but warned emaSwati against taking this drug as yet, as it has not yet been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and said Eswatini was still doing a study on it at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital.
Magagula said it is a medication mostly for parasites, but it is being repurposed to help people who have COVID-19,” said Dr Magagula.
He, however, said WHO had not as yet approved it because they were still conducting further studies on the drug. He said although not yet approved, there were some seemingly positive results on Ivermectin.
“For now a proposal has been done and the next step is to conduct an observational study which is led by RFM and they are still finalising it,” said Dr Magagula.
“For now a proposal has been done and the next step is to conduct an observational study which is led by RFM and they are still finalising it,” said Dr Magagula.
President of Swaziland Nurses Association Bheki Mamba acknowledged the drug in question, however, he said for now he could not encourage people to use the drug for now. Mamba said it would be better for the nation to wait for approval by WHO before using the drug.
He said the drug needs to be tested first to determine if it can be used in human as it is commonly used for killing parasites in the body (deworming) and treatment of external parasites like head lice.
Mamba said this drug cannot be totally overruled that it will not work because as some drugs were known to be a remedy for other things but further studies may then prove it otherwise to be capable to help in other sicknesses.
When sought for comment, the Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi said the ministry is aware of the use of ivermectin in country for Covid-19 treatment. She said the drug is primarily for treatment of parasitic conditions, not COVID-19.
“However there is anecdotal evidence that it helps in COVID-19 management, and we are aware of studies in many countries.”
She added that the Ministry is working on structured clinical trials of the drug, so we can understand its effects, side effect, and long term impacts. Hence, it will be a prescribed drug, not available over the counter.
Minister Nkosi said as a Ministry they will be on the line of fire for introducing a new drug without following the procedures as advised by WHO. Which is why an observational study to enrol patients and monitor the data is the best way to approach the Ivermectin issue.
“Currently there’s no guidance on its use, no recommended dosage or format for COVID-19 treatment,” said Nkosi.
She added that the COVID-19 case management is busy preparing protocols for such a study/clinical trials, and will announce soon.
“We understand people’s anxiety and impatiens as we all seek effective treatments for COVID-19. However, the Ministry of Health has duty to safeguard public health safety, and must apply due diligence in this case. We are working as fast as we can. An announcement will be made soon.”
Invest more on massive testing, vaccination
Swaziland Nurses Association President Bheki Mamba further advised the local government to invest more on massive testing and massive vaccination.
Mamba said massive testing can go an extra mile in helping the country in the fight against COVID-19 as it meet three (3) main purposes; curb the escalating spread of the virus, commence treatment for those who tested positive as soon as possible more especially those who are asymptomatic because they are the ones who are super spreaders of the virus; and so to slow down the high fatality rate currently faced by the country.
Mamba said the government should invest more on vaccination as that is the only hope present. He said the government should stop relying mostly on the international organizations as that might delay the country from getting the vaccine delivered in the country on time.
He said the government is relying on the COVAX facility so to be able to access the vaccines for free through that collective pool. He said instead the government should have invested more on securing the vaccine and that would have enabled the country to make orders on the vaccine from the manufacturers. He said the vaccines are not readily available but the manufacturers can only start producing vaccines once there is an order for that particular vaccine.
He said apparently, Eswatini has not made any orders but waiting for the COVAX facility to secure the vaccines then through the facility Eswatini can be able to get some jabs of which he said they will not even be enough to vaccinate the whole country but rather the certain priority. He said the first possible group to receive the vaccine when it comes, could be royalty, cabinet ministers, parliamentarians, senior government officials, health workers and maybe the senior citizens.
In response to that the Minister of Health had earlier on said in addition to being part of the COVAX facility, the Kingdom of Eswatini is pursuing direct procurement with preferred vaccine manufacturers. These discussions are ongoing and are at an advanced stage and the final outcome will be communicated with the nation once finalized.
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