On May 16, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the ministry had not approved the use of Ivermectin to prevent or treat Covid-19 because there were no scientific studies to prove it was effective.

While Dr Amir Farid Isahak confirmed that his clinic in Kuala Lumpur was raided by the authorities, he declined to comment further, on the advice of his lawyer.

“I did make the statement, but my lawyer has advised me against making any statement at this time,” he told FMT.

In a separate statement that was circulated online yesterday, the doctor explained that the slow vaccination rate had convinced him to offer the drug to patients because it was proven to be “very safe”.

“I accept that the 58 scientific studies done so far are sufficient to prove its (Ivermectin’s) effectiveness although our health ministry and some doctors do not.

“Therefore, I acted according to what I believe, and according to my conscience, to try to save lives,” he continued, adding that he was prepared for the consequences if his actions came to the attention of the authorities.

However, he said the need to save people superseded any fears of legal action. “If the Ivermectin from me saved just one life, it is worth it,” he said.

FMT is seeking Noor Hisham’s response on the matter.

In early June, the health ministry and the health ministry’s Institute for Clinical Research began clinical trials to study the effects and effectiveness of Ivermectin to treat high-risk Covid-19 patients in 12 government hospitals.

Noor Hisham said at the time that the drug had received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat a wide spectrum of diseases, there was no conclusive evidence to recommend its off-label use for Covid-19 patients.

Ivermectin has attracted international attention following several case studies and clinical trials that showed promising results in treating Covid-19, but neither the FDA nor the World Health Organization has recommended it for use outside of such trials.

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