Question NO9 to the Deputy President

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20 August 2020 - NO9

Profile picture: Meshoe, Rev KR

Meshoe, Rev KR to ask the Deputy President

Whether, in view of COVID-19 infections which are increasing at an alarming rate in the Republic, the Government and/or the National Coronavirus Command Council intends to investigate claims of a certain doctor (name and details furnished) of a 100 percent success rate in the treatment of all COVID-19 patients since March 2020, whose remedy had also drawn the attention of a United States senator and presidential advisors; if not, why not; if so, by what date will the specified investigation be launched?

Reply:

We note the very important question raised which relates to a doctor who is based in Texas, in the United States of America.

 

We are all focused on flattening the curve of coronavirus infections in our country, hence government has led a robust country response under the auspices of the National Coronavirus Command Council. Much progress has been made in this regard. We have substantively reduced the number of new infections and increased the number of recoveries now at 88.6 percent.

We also are looking forward to the development of potential treatments, and a vaccine for the COVID-19 pandemic, hence the Minister of Health has followed up on these claims in earnest. The President is working with other global leaders to ensure that once the vaccine is found, it is equitably accessible to all countries including South Africa.

 

The Department of Health has advised us that the drug in question has not been approved to treat people infected with the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. To this end, the Department of Health will continue to issue guidelines for the use of government approved drugs in all our health facilities for COVID-19 patients.

 

As a nation, we see value in participating in clinical trials that comply with the highest ethical standards. Our participation will ensure that we contribute to the body of knowledge, and secure our access to therapeutics when they are ready for clinical application.

 

We welcome all well-founded, and lawful scientific trials for the development of government approved drugs including vaccine trials that will assist our country to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we must caution against rushing to embrace unproven, and unscrupulous claims of COVID-19 drugs, treatments and vaccines that may derail our government’s efforts to deal with this pandemic.

 

-End-

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