ELMHURST, Ill. — A DuPage County judge has ordered a hospital to allow a comatose COVID-19 patient access to a drug the FDA says could be unsafe, according to The Chicago Tribune.
Elmhurst Hospital says the drug use isn’t justified, another court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
The drug itself has been aroung for a long time, but it is usually used to treat parasitic worms. Although, some doctors have found success using it for COVID-19 patients.
The Trubune reports 68-year-old Nurije Fype has been at Elmhurst Hospital since April and is now on a ventilator. Her daughter has been fighting to get her the drug ivermectin.
The FDA does not recommend the use of the drug for COVID-19, while the National Institute of Health says there isn’t enough research to recommend it’s use or not for COVID-19.
An attorney for the hospital says none of the doctors agreed to administer the drug and an ethics panel concluded it couldn’t justify the drugs use, according to the Tribune.
The Tribune reports the judge pointed to a court document from the woman’s doctor who says he’s used the drug successfully. The judge asked if no one at the hospital is willing to give her the drug, why not allow her doctor to do it?
The Tribune reports the judge added why does the hospital object to using the medication if the patient is not improving.
The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday morning.