PANAJI: The directorate of health services (DHS) has instructed health centres and hospitals across the state to remove ivermectin, zinc and doxycycline tablets from the kits given to Covid-19 patients who are in home isolation.
The directive come after the Union health ministry’s revised guidelines dropped ivermectin and a few other medications from the Covid-19 treatment protocol.
A health officer in North Goa said his centre received the communication from the DHS on Friday. “The stock of the tablets taken out from the Covid kits will be returned to DHS,” he said.
50% of people believed the two tablets could not deter the virus
Besides ivermectin and other medication, the kits contained a pulse oximeter, vitamin C and vitamin D tablets, paracetamol tablets, masks, and a bottle of clinic spirit.
The consumption of zinc tablets, the health officer said, was dropped due to the increasing cases of mucormycosis, which has partly been attributed to increased levels of zinc in the body.
“The efficacy of doxycycline and ivermectin, on the other hand, has always been questionable. At least 50% of the people believed that the two tablets could not deter the virus,” he said.
Goa was one of the few states in the country that began distributing home isolation kits to Covid-19 patients at the height of the first wave of the pandemic last year, and continued it during the second wave as well. The quantum of ivermectin, doxycycline and zinc that is currently available with the DHS remains unknown as the directorate procures medication in bulk to meet the requirements of facilities across the state. It is also not known whether the balance stock of the three tablets will be returned to their distributors.
Goa’s health ministry was in the eye of a storm last month over its decision to distribute free ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug, as a prophylaxis for people above 18 years of age.
The matter was also raised before the high court of Bombay at Goa, which is hearing multiple petitions related to Covid-19 management. The government was ultimately compelled to drop ivermectin consequent to the Centre’s decision.
Last week, chief minister Pramod Sawant had rejected a DHS proposal to procure ivermectin worth Rs 10 crore.
The directive come after the Union health ministry’s revised guidelines dropped ivermectin and a few other medications from the Covid-19 treatment protocol.
A health officer in North Goa said his centre received the communication from the DHS on Friday. “The stock of the tablets taken out from the Covid kits will be returned to DHS,” he said.
50% of people believed the two tablets could not deter the virus
Besides ivermectin and other medication, the kits contained a pulse oximeter, vitamin C and vitamin D tablets, paracetamol tablets, masks, and a bottle of clinic spirit.
The consumption of zinc tablets, the health officer said, was dropped due to the increasing cases of mucormycosis, which has partly been attributed to increased levels of zinc in the body.
“The efficacy of doxycycline and ivermectin, on the other hand, has always been questionable. At least 50% of the people believed that the two tablets could not deter the virus,” he said.
Goa was one of the few states in the country that began distributing home isolation kits to Covid-19 patients at the height of the first wave of the pandemic last year, and continued it during the second wave as well. The quantum of ivermectin, doxycycline and zinc that is currently available with the DHS remains unknown as the directorate procures medication in bulk to meet the requirements of facilities across the state. It is also not known whether the balance stock of the three tablets will be returned to their distributors.
Goa’s health ministry was in the eye of a storm last month over its decision to distribute free ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug, as a prophylaxis for people above 18 years of age.
The matter was also raised before the high court of Bombay at Goa, which is hearing multiple petitions related to Covid-19 management. The government was ultimately compelled to drop ivermectin consequent to the Centre’s decision.
Last week, chief minister Pramod Sawant had rejected a DHS proposal to procure ivermectin worth Rs 10 crore.
