PETER ARDINGTON
OPINION - THE government’s response to Ivermectin use is likely to be feeble and ineffective. Section 21 applications are restrictive, time consuming and full of delaying red tape. By the time applications have been processed and approved patients are likely to be desperately ill or dead.
There is no substitute for rigorous trials in accordance with sound application of scientific methods. However, the national state of disaster, declared last March by President Ramaphosa, is currently worse than it has ever been.
Second, Ivermectin has been used in humans for over a decade with approximately 3 million doses administered to date. Under such widespread use it has been proven a very safe drug with rare side effects, probably safer than the aspirin we buy in supermarkets.
Third, the information on Ivermectin is moving very fast and changing daily. The positive experiences of medical professionals worldwide is becoming ever more compelling and should not be ignored while we wait for the completion of rigorous trials.
The government should move fast to secure supplies of Ivermectin. It should also trust the medical profession to judge wisely and release the drug on prescription with no other restraints. Saving lives, money and stress on the health care system should be top priorities. Should the present situation continue the government is likely to end up with egg on its face and the responsibility for thousands more deaths.
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.