Covid treatment guided by international best practices
-Dr Anthony tells National Assembly
Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony has said Guyana’s treatment protocols for COVID-19 is based on international best practices.
Dr. Anthony made this statement in response to a suggestion by an Opposition Member of Parliament in the National Assembly that consideration be given for the use of the drug Ivermectin to boost immunity among Covid patients.
“Our treatment protocols here are guided by international best practices, we look at what they are doing in the United States and what they are doing in the United Kingdom and other countries and we design our own protocols here based on that scientific guidance.”
Minister Anthony wrapped up the Government’s presentation on the motion ‘Global Pandemic of COVID-19’ in the National Assembly on Wednesday.
The Minister explained that to generate antiviral activity in humans, a hundred times the dose of Ivermectin would have to be administered to an average human being to kill the virus; however, this can be fatal to the patient.
“I would like to ask her to go to the National Institute of Health website, and download the treatment protocols for COVID-19, the latest version, and in that document, go to the part that deals with Ivermectin and you would see that they clearly did not recommend Ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19.”
The Minister said he was disappointed that the Opposition did not do its homework on the matter, and that they, with the exception of Deputy Speaker, Mr. Lenox Shuman, did not support the motion. He iterated that the motion has serious implications for the nation.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Hon. Gail Teixeira had encouraged the Opposition members to support the motion and stop playing politics.
“COVID-19 has not spared any country whether rich or poor… The pandemic is a national issue and requires the support of everyone if the country is to beat this disease. We will continue to do what is best in the interest of the people to save lives… I call on the APNU-AFC, in a last-ditch effort, to support the motion.”
Minister Teixeira said since it came into office in August, the Government had committed to being inclusive in its management of the pandemic. She said the Opposition’s lack of support on this matter is yet another way it had failed the Guyanese people.