A NON-GOVERNMENTAL organisation urged the Health Ministry (MOH) to reveal findings of its clinical trials on Ivermectin before purchasing other drugs to treat COVID-19.
“It has been four months since the MOH announced its clinical trial to check Ivermectin’s efficacy in treating COVID-19 patients but we have yet to hear its results,” said Otai Reformasi secretary Abdul Razak Ismail in a statement.
In June, MOH director general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah announced that the authorities would conduct clinical trials on Ivermectin’s efficacy in treating COVID-19 cases.
It came about after several health experts touted its effectiveness in treating severe symptoms triggered by COVID-19.
Society of Natural Health Malaysia president Capt (Rtd) Wong Ang Peng was supportive of using Ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients, claiming its use is met with resistance under the shield of corporate-financial interest and bad science.
Many quarters, including MOH, have cast doubt on the claim saying little research has been done on the matter and advised the public against self-medicating using the Ivermectin.
Two days ago, US-based Merck & Co announced that an experimental antiviral drug, molnupiravir, was found could halve the chances of COVID-19 patients dying or getting hospitalised.
If it gets authorisation from the US authorities, the drug, which is designed to introduce errors into the genetic code of the virus, would be the first oral antiviral medication for COVID-19.
Following the news, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that the Government was in talks with Merck & Co to procure molnupiravir.
On that note, Razak claimed the MOH seems to be reluctant to publicise its clinical trial results on Ivermectin despite knowing many are consuming it in secrecy.
“And the ministry must answer on why many were brought in dead (BID) before reaching hospitals, without the COVID-19 patients given any medicine during their home quarantine,” he remarked. – Oct 4, 2021.
Pic credit: India Glitz
