Covid-19: SC refuses to entertain PIL against use of HCQ and AZM

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 30

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to pass any orders on a PIL by a US-based NRI doctor against use of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and Azithromycin (AZM) to treat serious Covid-19 cases in India.

“Can a court of law say use this type of treatment or that kid of treatment? Are we experts?” a Bench headed by Justice NV Ramana told petitioner Dr Kunal Saha during the hearing via video conferencing.

The petition can be taken as a representation to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) which can examine it, the Bench told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

Saha said patients were dying due to side effect of these drugs. There should be informed consent from them before they were administered these drugs, he added.

Saha had April 16 moved the Supreme Court against use of HCQ and AZM to treat serious Covid-19 cases in India.

He had claimed that the use of HCQ and AZM for Covid-19 treatment was based primarily on “anecdotal evidence” and not on “direct scientific data.”

The use of these drugs for treatment of Covid-19 was “potentially-life threatening” contended Saha who is the president of People for Better Treatment.

He had urged the top court to direct the Ministry of Health to make necessary changes in the present guidelines for treatment of seriously ill Covid-19 patients, which is based on the use of a combination of HCQ and AZM.

He sought to draw the court’s attention to an “extraordinary” joint bulletin issued by American Heart Association (AHA), American College of Cardiology (ACC) and Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) in the US on April 8 which asked doctors to be cautious during the use of HCQ and AZM in Covid-19, especially for patients with existing cardiac conditions since these drugs have potential to trigger abnormal heartbeat, heart failure and even death.

Saha said another multi-national study based on direct analysis of more than three lakh patients in the US and Europe underscored the potential but serious dangers and the urgent need to take precautionary measures for any “off-label” use of HCQ and AZM on Covid-19 patients.

He submitted that he had written to the Health Ministry about the serious and potentially life-threatening dangers involved in the use of HCQ and AZM on Covid-19 patients but received no response.

He said he had suggested six specific therapeutic measures that doctors should adopt to prevent catastrophic medical outcome while treating a serious Covid-19 patients with HCQ and AZM.