Durban doctor hopeful over Ivermectin announcement, but still concerned
A Durban doctor who pleaded with President Cyril Ramaphosa to legalise Ivermectin to help COVID-19 patients - says while she's hopeful about the latest developments, she still has some concerns.
The SA Health Products Regulatory Authority announced yesterday that it will facilitate a compassionate access programme to allow for controlled access to Ivermectin for treatment.
Earlier this month, over 500 South African medical professionals signed a letter in support of the plea by Durban-based GP, Naseeba Kathrada.
She says SAHPRA is moving in the right direction.
"An announcement was made about the access programme and not actually how to access it. Until we see how this process will work, to me it seems no different to a Section 21 application."
"If it is just a renaming of the Section 21 application then there are causes of concern. A Section 21 is an 8-page document to fill in and they also want feedback. We have no time, we need to save lives."
Yesterday, SAHPRA said doctors will have to take responsibility for the safety of COVID-19 patients they will be treating with Ivermectin.
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CEO, Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, says the authority will facilitate the programme.
She says healthcare professionals will be the ones applying for access to the drug.
"They will be taken the accountability for the safety monitoring of this product also for monitoring the impact that it's having on the patient from the efficacy perspective."
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Ivermectin is not registered for use on humans in South Africa. Calls had been growing for authorities to clear it for COVID-19 treatment, due to its alleged effectiveness.
