Is Israel Denying Life-Saving Treatment For COVID Patients?
Amid a soaring infection rate, Israel has confirmed over 550 coronavirus fatalities in the past month. Could some of these deaths have been avoided?
According to a Yediot Achranot report on Thursday morning, the answer to the question may be an outrageous “yes.” The report revealed that although Israel’s Health Ministry has already purchased thousands of doses of a COVID drug with a proven success rate in the US, it has failed to release it for mass use by Kupot Cholim to treat COVID patients at home.
In November 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted an emergency use authorization for Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment for mildly and moderately ill coronavirus patients, the month after former U.S. President Donald Trump received the still-experimental drug after he contracted COVID in October.
“Clinical trials showed that two monoclonal antibodies, casirivimab and imdevimab, administered together reducted reduce COVID-19-related hospitalization or emergency room visits in patients at high risk for disease progression within 28 days after treatment when compared to placebo,” the FDA press release stated at the time.
“My father began feeling ill a couple of weeks ago,” said Moti Leibowitz, an Israeli whose father died of COVID earlier this week. “We tried to get him treated with Regeneron, but our HMO said they don’t have the drug and even said they knew nothing about it. You have to know where to go to get it and we found one of the aid organizations that could provide the drug, but my father refused to go to the hospital to receive it. If he had been able to get it while at home, he wouldn’t have died.”
Senior health officials say that the public is paying the price for bureaucratic infighting. “It’s possible and necessary to purchase a large quantity of Regeneron,” health officials said.
“The drug must be administered in the early stages of the disease to be most effective, and not when a patient’s condition deteriorates and requires hospitalization,” Professor Galia Rahav Head of the Infectious Disease Department at the Sheba Medical Center, explained.
“HMO’s must be responsible for administering it to patients who are treated in the community.”
Dr. Erez Carmon, who heads the coronavirus response at one of the HMO’s has a different opinion. “Some drugs must be administered in a hospital setting,” he said. “HMOs do not determine what drugs are available. That is the Health Ministry’s job.”
The Health Ministry stated in response to a request for comment from Ynet that the existing supply of Regeneron has been directed for use in nursing home “but further use of the medication will be considered.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
1 comment:
Isn't it obvious the reshaim are running the show!!!
Very depressing that the world sees the 'Jewish' state acting like the ones who oppressed them and the world eight decades ago. That's because those running the so-called Jewish country are NOT Jews. B'H for that because our people could never do this to one another. Geula is very close.
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