PANJIM: Ruling out having purchased Ivermectin tablets for distribution as part of a prophylaxis treatment protocol, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Wednesday announced that the anti-parasitic drug has been dropped from the COVID-19 treatment protocol.
Addressing media persons post the Cabinet meeting, in the presence of Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, Sawant said that in view of the revised guidelines issued for COVID-19 treatment by the Union Health Ministry, the State too has dropped the widely-used drug from its list of approved treatment options.
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Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine and Favipiravir – used for asymptomatic and mild cases – were removed from Union Ministry’s Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) guidelines after experts found they did not help patients infected by Coronavirus.
The Chief Minister also refuted accusations made by the Opposition of an alleged Rs 22.50 crore scam in the purchase of Ivermectin for free distribution in the State as part of the prophylaxis treatment to adults.
“We had not bought Ivermectin for prophylaxis treatment. Not a single tablet has been purchased for prophylaxis purpose. This figure of Rs 22 crore, which is being talked about by some, is an attempt to misguide the people. I would request, those writing on this to first understand the issue,” Sawant said.
“We had bought Ivermectin, when it was approved by the ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) for home isolation kits. The home isolation kit is recommended by them (ICMR) in other States too. It contained Doxycycline, Ivermectin, Vitamin C with zinc tablets. We had bought them then. We had made the purchase during that time,” he explained.
Sawant said that once ICMR had dropped it from its list of drugs for Covid treatment, the proposal to purchase Ivermectin was also dropped. “I have signed on the file dropping the proposal,” he said.
