The St Lucian doctor who was suspended for prescribing Ivermectin to COVID-19 patients has called for the dissolution of the island’s Medical and Dental Council and served notice that she will be challenging her suspension in the law courts.
Dr Gilbertha St. Rose, in a statement issued on Thursday, said scrutiny must be given to “possible infiltration and corruption of the Council” by powers that do not want anything to jeopardize the mass distribution of COVID -19 jabs and the impending release of two new oral anti-COVID drugs ready to be rolled out under emergency use authorisation.
Dr Gibertha St. Rose
“We resolve to move for the dissolution of this Medical and Dental Council for their biased approach in handling the health and well-being of St. Lucians and for acting against the rights of the citizenry to choose medical treatment in consultation with their physician. We deserve justice and free choice for all,” said Dr St. Rose.
“I have instructed my legal counsel acting for me to file a claim against the Medical and Dental Council in respect of their decision handed down on December 2, 2021.”
Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic drug most commonly used to treat livestock. It is US FDA-approved for humans when treating lice, rosacea, and specific parasitic diseases, but not for COVID-19.
The World Health Organization says the current evidence on the use of Ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients is inconclusive.
In its correspondence to Dr St. Rose, the Council informed her that her registration and practising certificate had been suspended for six months for prescribing and supplying the drug to patients without authorisation from the Ministry of Health or the Chief Medical Officer; and publicly encouraging its use to treat the virus.
It said that after the six-month period, it would review the suspension once Dr St. Rose undertakes, in writing, to cease.
She was also fined EC$10,000 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) fine payable to the Council within 30 days.
However, the medical practitioner was adamant that she had done nothing wrong. She said Ivermectin is an inexpensive drug that has proven to be effective in the treatment of COVID-19 and has saved many lives worldwide.
“To disallow the use of Ivermectin, and allow St. Lucians to languish and even die is unconscionable, and the Medical and Dental Council and the Chief Medical Officer must be held accountable for the actions in choosing to allow death instead of giving St. Lucians a fighting chance against the COVID-19 virus,” she said.
“Where is the harm in using a drug that has been in use for over 40 years and has proven to be extremely safe? Ivermectin has been used successfully in India, Japan, Mexico, Jamaica and other countries in the treatment of COVID-19 and is recommended by many doctors.”
Dr St. Rose further charged that the Medical and Dental Council and the Chief Medical Officer have abdicated their responsibility of treating St. Lucians for the COVID-19 virus.
“There is also collusion by the Ministry of Health which is presently preventing the release from customs of a shipment of Ivermectin which is not only for off label use for COVID-19 infection but also for the treatment for scabies, lice, rosacea and also parasites, as has been used and imported into St. Lucia for many years now,” the doctor further alleged.
She called on her health practitioner colleagues to stand up and act on this.
While she awaits the outcome of her case, Dr St. Rose said she would continue to reassure and educate people of the effectiveness and safety of using Ivermectin among other measures to treat and prevent COVID-19 infection.
Dr St. Rose indicated that she would continue to offer her services under her other banner of a registered and licensed herbalist.
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