LAWMAKERS on Sunday questioned the Department of Health (DOH) decision to buy another P1 billion worth of remdesivir and warned officials they may face criminal charges if they insist on procuring such despite the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation against the drug’s use in Covid-19 patients.
In separate statements, Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza of Buhay and Anakalusugan Rep. Michael Defensor said no less than the WHO has frowned upon the drug, which costs up to P8,500 per vial, as additional medication to treat Covid-19 patients.
Atienza also questioned DOH’s “wasteful double standard of promoting a very expensive investigational drug such as remdesivir, while stonewalling other potential low-priced treatments, including human-grade ivermectin that costs only P35 to P40 per capsule.”
“The WHO recommends against the use of remdesivir because it does not have any positive effect on Covid-19 patient outcomes. And yet, the DOH is still irresponsibly using the drug in addition to standard care for patients,” Atienza said.
The WHO said in its Therapeutics and Covid-19 Living Guideline, “we recommend against administering remdesivir in addition to standard care. There isn’t enough evidence to support to use of remdesivir in hospitalized Covid-19 patients, regardless of disease severity.”
The DOH earlier said that its Disease Prevention and Control Bureau has earmarked another P1 billion to procure additional stocks of remdesivir that were already running low.
“Remdesivir is currently being used as an additional medication for Covid-19 patients,” the DOH said in a press statement posted on its web site.
“Other wealthy nations can throw their money away on remdesivir if they want to, but in our case, we simply can’t afford to,” Atienza said.
Ivermectin advocate
Defensor, an advocate for the use of Ivermectin, said all new purchases of remdesivir are “reckless and foolish” spending in light of the WHO recommendation.
“All further purchases of remdesivir—after the WHO came out with its adverse recommendation—may be deemed as transactions highly detrimental to the government under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” Defensor said.
Under the law, the lawmaker said DOH officials may be held liable for a corrupt act if they perform a transaction that is “grossly disadvantageous” to the government.
“The potential liability is there, regardless whether the officials involved profited or not from the procurement,” Defensor said.
The offense is punishable with up to 10 years in prison and perpetual disqualification from public office, according to Defensor.
“We would urge the Department of Budget and Management to repurpose the money meant for remdesivir, preferably to acquire more Covid-19 vaccines,” Defensor said.
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