Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor said Monday that he would be giving away free anti-parasitic drug ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients in Quezon City even if the drug is still unregistered for human use.
Defensor said in a Facebook post that those with comorbidities and senior citizens would be given priority as the drug supply was limited.
“Magpadala ng private message sa itong Facebook Page: Malayang Quezon City upang makuha ang kumpletong detalye para makakuha ng ivermectin,” he said.
(Please send a private message to Malayang Quezon City to get a complete detail for getting ivermectin.)
According to the lawmaker, ivermectin is still “safe” and might be effective despite that there is no clinical trial that has been conducted that the drug used for animals would be effective for treating COVID-19 patients.
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COVID-19 patients in QC to receive ivermectin from Mike Defensor
“It is very very safe. So while the studies are not yet conclusive, taking it will not harm our bodies. What if it proves to be effective?” Defensor said.
“We were able to save thousands of lives who would not have died because the hospitals cannot anymore accommodate them or the medication was not effective,” he added.
Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Wes Gatchalian warned the public against “abusive” online sellers of ivermectin products that are allegedly effective in treating COVID-19.
“We appreciate that online e-commerce sites like Lazada have clearly classified Ivermectin as a veterinary drug, however, there may be unscrupulous individuals who will use the leniency of these online sites that make the drug easily accessible, to prey on the public especially now when word has spread that Ivermectin may be used as a cure for COVID-19,” Gatchalian said.
The lawmaker added some online sellers were manipulating the price of the drug.
“I just want to remind the public that this drug has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human use and may be highly harmful to the health of our consumers,” Gatchalian said.