Don’t appeal court’s ruling on Ivermectin, govt urged

Last Friday, the Court of Appeal declared that a doctor is entitled to dispense Ivermectin as part of the course of treatment to a patient. (Reuters pic)

PETALING JAYA:

An NGO has urged the government not to appeal the Court of Appeal’s declaration that a doctor is entitled to dispense Ivermectin as part of the course of treatment to a patient under his or her care.

The Malaysian Alliance for Effective Covid Control (MAECC) said the appellate court’s decision vindicated the Malaysians who sought to use Ivermectin as self-treatment and protection against Covid-19 at the height of the pandemic.

“The thousands of doctors, health practitioners and consumer groups that advocated the use of Ivermectin against Covid-19 prior to the availability of the vaccination programme, and who had been labelled as anti-establishment, can now feel vindicated.

“We humbly request that the government and health ministry do not appeal against the judgment simply because there are no losers. All Malaysians, including the government and health authorities, are winners in this case,” it said in a statement.

MAECC said it had advocated for the adjunctive use of Ivermectin against Covid-19 since early 2020, but came under fire by “certain professional groups and individuals”.

It pointed out that the World Health Organization (WHO) listed Ivermectin as an essential and safe medicine, while the health ministry’s guideline to manage scabies listed the drug as one of the treatment protocols.

Last Friday, a three-member Court of Appeal bench unanimously held that a registered medical practitioner may dispense Ivermectin to a patient for the purposes of medical treatment only, and in compliance with Section 19 of the Poisons Act 1952 and the Poison Regulations 1952.

The ruling was made in answer to two questions posed to the court in an appeal brought by Dr S Vijaendran, president of the Malaysian Association for the Advancement of Functional and Interdisciplinary Medicine (Maafim), and Dr Che Amir Farid Che Isahak.

The questions include whether, under the Poisons Act 1952 and the Poisons Regulations 1952, a registered medical practitioner is entitled to dispense Ivermectin as an ingredient to his or her patient.

The other question posed was whether a registered medical practitioner can dispense Ivermectin to his or her patients for the purpose of the medical treatment of the patient and in compliance with the Act and the regulations.

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Don’t appeal court’s ruling on Ivermectin, govt urged

The Malaysian Alliance for Effective Covid Control says the Court of Appeal's decision last Friday vindicates those who advocated using Ivermectin against Covid-19.