Plan to do house-to-house distribution of Ivermectin tablets, together with doctors who believe in drug’s efficacy-
(Eagle News) — Two lawmakers are set to hold a “symbolic launching” of their planned distribution of Ivermectin tablets in Quezon City, dubbed “Ivermecting Pan-three”, on Thursday, April 29, saying that this would help bring down COVID-19 infections in the city.
House Deputy Speaker Sagip-Partylist Rep. Rodante Marcoleta and Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor said that launch would also involve doctors who believe in the anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin as also effective in treating, as well as preventing COVID-19.
In an interview over Balitalakayan, an Eagle News Service program aired at NET25 and Radyo Agila DZEC Defensor said that the name “Pan-three” was thought of by Rep. Marcoleta since at least three Ivermectin tablets or capsules would be given to each individual or family. This is provided with a prescription from doctors.
-Doctors to be part of their distribution campaign, says Marcoleta, Defensor-
Marcoleta and Defensor also defended their planned distribution since there would be a doctor’s prescription to accompany the planned distribution of Ivermectin tablets that they plan to do.
“Mga doktor mismo ang kasama namin,” he said in the interview.
He said that this initiative came about because of the various clinical trials that showed its supposed efficacy in fighting COVID-19.
“Doon sa safety measures, ano ito, hindi na ito matatawaran,” he said citing the 40 years that the drug Ivermectin has been used for humans to treat parasites.
“Safe ito, nasa drug formulary natin yan,” he said.
Marcoleta said that he and Defensor have studied the various results of clinical trials on Ivermectin and how Ivermectin had been used extensively to treat parasites for the last 40 years.
“Ito yung aming pinanukala, tutal meron naman sa aming tumulong na mga doktor sa pag-distribute ng mga ito,” Marcoleta said in the program, “Sa Ganang Mamamayan” on Wednesday, April 28.
Marcoleta said that they could not just stand idly by while COVID-19 cases are rising in Quezon City.
Defensor also said that he has not learned of any adverse events that led to the death of the person who used the drug Ivermectin. If ever there were deaths, it could be because of the parasites that had already infected the body, and not because of the Ivermectin drug used to treat it. He said that out of the 3.7 billion who had already used the drug Ivermectin in the past 40 years, there were only 16 reported deaths.
While there have been various clinical trials on Ivermectin to treat COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that it should only be limited for use in clinical trials only, claiming that evidence on its potency in treating COVID-19 patients were still “inconclusive.”
“The current evidence on the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients is inconclusive. Until more data is available, WHO recommends that the drug only be used within clinical trials,” WHO said in a statement..
“This recommendation, which applies to patients with COVID-19 of any disease severity, is now part of WHO’s guidelines on COVID-19 treatments.,” WHO said.
-House to house planned distribution-
Defensor said that they plan to distribute Ivermectin tablets “house to house.” He said that they have coordinated with Quezon City government through a barangay. But he said Mayor Joy Belmonte had raised the concern that it could be seen as early politicking.
“Mayor Joy kung maaari tulungan mo kami, sumama kas sa inisyatibong ito, dahil kung bababa ang mga maysakit at namamatay, bababa ang record ng Quezon City,” Defensor said.
The areas that they plan to go to distribute Ivermectin are areas with high concentration of COVID-19 cases, he said.
In campaigning for the use of Ivermectin against COVID-19, Defensor also cited the findings of Dr. Joseph Varon, Chief of Critical Care and COVID-19 Unit at United Memorial Medical Center, which had used Ivermectin as among a combination of drugs to treat COVID-19 patients.
Varon also studied how Ivermectin is used in various other countries to treat COVID-19.
The doctor said that his team of doctors is not only using Ivermectin to treat patients, but also as a prevention for COVID-19.
Defensor said that when Ivermectin is used by even those who got vaccinated against COVID-19, these people were also protected from even the other variants of the COVID-19, citing Dr. Varon’s findings, as well as findings in other countries which use Ivermectin against COVID-19.
(Eagle News Service)
