Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh has condemned members of the public for paying as much as $30,000 to be treated at home for covid19 with the controversial drug Ivermectin.

Deyalsingh was speaking during the ministry’s covid19 virtual press conference on Wednesday.

He said, “When frontline doctors examine the notes that are based on interviews with relatives and patients…they are concerned, appalled, and disheartened by the continued reliance on Ivermectin.”

He said those who can afford to are paying exorbitant fees to be treated with the drug and oxygen at home.

“This is untenable. If you are on oxygen at home, we ask you to come into a facility to get oxygen. There is no need to spend $30,000 at home.”

He said the ministry has also been made aware of the distribution of “covid19 packs,” which contain Ivermectin, vitamins B and C.

“That is not going to assist you. It is their view (doctors') that continues reliance on it is contributing in some way to the number of deaths we are experiencing.”

He said Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Roshan Parasram will be writing once more to the Medical Association and the Pharmacy Board about the use of the drug. Ivermectin, he said, is not approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and no clinical trials have been done to show its efficacy.

Epidemiologist Dr Avery Hinds said 6.4 per cent of recorded deaths are occurring at home while the vast majority are in the parallel healthcare system, and just a few in the private healthcare system.

Deyalsingh also said he has had conversations with Assistant Commissioner of Police Wendell Williams, who is a part of the covid19 task force, on further controls and measures to clamp down on fake vaccination cards.

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