Family drops lawsuit aiming to force Libertyville hospital to provide ivermectin treatment for COVID-19 patient
A woman who sued Advocate Condell Medical Center to force it to allow her mother, a COVID-19 patient, to be treated with ivermectin has dropped her lawsuit.
Attorney Jon Minear said during a DuPage County court hearing Wednesday that he was withdrawing all pleading in the case. He also asked the judge to terminate an injunction that had compelled the hospital to allow Leslie Pai, a 68-year-old photographer, to receive the controversial medication.
In an interview, Minear said while Pai’s condition improved at the Libertyville hospital after just a few rounds of ivermectin, her family wasn’t confident about her care going forward. Condell doctors said in court documents that ivermectin caused Pai’s heart rate to plunge, but Minear attributed the drop to blood pressure medication.
“Intentionally blaming the ivermectin, knowing full well (Pai’s) blood pressure was fishtailing for days, is a concerning factor for (the family),” Minear said.
Condell did not address that claim in a statement but said it was pleased Pai’s family had withdrawn their request for ivermectin.
“Our care team will proceed with other proven courses of treatment which have worked safely and effectively for thousands of patients,” it said.
Ivermectin is typically deployed against diseases caused by parasitic worms, but has become a sought-after COVID-19 treatment despite a lack of definitive scientific proof about its effectiveness. Though many clinical trials are still underway, the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and numerous medical authorities advise against using it for COVID.
Hospitals generally will not provide it for COVID, and that has prompted some patients and their families to go to court. Pai’s daughter, Tiffany Wilson, said in an affidavit that her own research into ivermectin convinced her it was safe and effective, and she sued last week to force Condell to let an outside doctor give the drug to her mother.
Judge Anne Hayes issued a temporary injunction Friday so Pai could get the medication, but Condell said in court papers filed Monday that Pai’s heart rate plunged twice after receiving ivermectin over the weekend, and that further doses could be dangerous.
Minear disputed that, but said the family decided not to continue with the lawsuit even though they want Pai to keep getting ivermectin.
“They saw the benefits working,” he said.
Twitter @JohnKeilman
