New York’s latest battle with COVID-19 is now involving the courts, as families sue hospitals in an attempt to save their family members in comas and on ventilators due to the virus.
According to the Daily Messenger, there are at least 14 lawsuits, some out of Rochester and Poughkeepsie, trying to force healthcare providers into using the non-FDA approved animal medication on COVID-19 patients.
The drug has been used in humans for non-COVID conditions like parasitic worms or skin conditions, but its intended purpose is to treat animals.
At least four of the court orders ruled in favor of giving the patient the ivermectin.
The fight to use the drug has become an ethical battle between hospitals and judges, as some judges refuse to approve something going against medical experts, while others have approved its use as family members try every last ditch effort to save their loved ones.
Family members reasons within the lawsuits often state that their family member did everything they were told including getting vaccinated and receiving the antibody treatments available, and they deserved the chance to try one last thing.
Hospitals involved in lawsuits include Rochester General Hospital and Highland Hospital in Monroe County, as well as Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie.
The denial for the drug between doctors and judges often comes down to the fact that judges aren’t medical professionals.
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