Health Ministry must meet and discuss use of the medicine with practitioners, says Dr Teo Yu Keng
MIRI – Certain private doctors are allegedly being pressured and harassed by the authorities for prescribing ivermectin to treat patients critically down with Covid-19 who were left without any other avenue for improvement.
Miri MP Dr Teo Yu Keng, himself a medical doctor, told The Vibes today that numerous friends who are senior doctors in Kuala Lumpur had said raids by the enforcement authorities are being stepped up.
He expressed worry that such enforcement is going to spread beyond the capital to all the other states.
“I was told that clinics and specialist centres run by very senior doctors in KL are being raided by enforcement people,” said Teo, who is also Sarawak PKR vice-chairman.
“These enforcement teams, allegedly being led by the Health Department’s people, are searching for ivermectin.
“My friends, who are very senior doctors in KL, alerted me after their clinics were raided. They appeal for the matter to be highlighted in the Dewan Rakyat.”
He said that he raised the matter in the Dewan Rakyat session yesterday and has written letters to the Health Ministry appealing for it to meet with doctors specifically to discuss the ivermectin issue.
So far, the ministry has not responded to all his queries on this and have refused a meeting, he added.
“Why are the enforcement people harassing doctors who are trying to save the lives of those down with Covid-19?
“There are real-life cases of how Covid-19 sufferers have recovered after taking ivermectin in Malaysia, as well as in many countries in the region, including in Japan.
“Doctors who prescribe ivermectin follow international medical guidelines,” he stressed.
Teo said that there are currently no antiviral medicines that can treat Covid-19 sufferers.
“The Covid-19 medicines being developed by Western countries will cost up to RM6,000 per treatment if available in Malaysia. That is too expensive for the ordinary rakyat,” he said.
He called for an end to all enforcement raids against doctors.
“Stop the harassment and meet us so that we can show evidence of the effectiveness of ivermectin,” he said. – The Vibes, November 25, 2021