Arkansas Doctor Sued Over Treatment of Ivermectin for Inmates Without Consent; Local Leaders Praise Physician's Action

Ivermectin, an antiparasitic medicine, has been administered to COVID-19 positive inmates at the Washington County Detention Center in Arkansas by Dr. Robert Karas, the facility's health care physician, apparently without their knowledge or agreement.

Karas and his medical team repeatedly told inmates that the ivermectin pills were "vitamins," according to the detainees, who have sued the Arkansas ACLU on behalf of four inmates for the alleged treatment. The local doctor has not shied away from touting the use of the drug to treat COVID-19, despite the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other agencies advising against it. Local leaders decided to thank him for a "job well done" on Monday.

Doctor Accused of Giving Ivermectin to Unwitting Inmates

Karas has filed a motion to dismiss the ACLU's case against him after hundreds of complaints have been filed against him for allegedly providing detainees at the jail with poor medical treatment. The state medical board is also looking into him.

The motion was brought by Washington County Justice of the Peace Patrick Deakins before the local Quorum Court's prison and law enforcement committee on Monday night, praising Karas' management of the coronavirus outbreak for a "job well done."

COVID-19 has affected hundreds of millions of people, but the "numbers and consequences of the virus have been grossly inflated." COVID-19 has killed 900,000 individuals in the United States alone, as per CBS News.

Inmates who claim they were administered ivermectin to treat COVID-19 unknowingly have filed a lawsuit against the Northwest Arkansas prison and Dr. Karas. In a court filing, attorneys for the sheriff of Washington County, the jail, and Dr. Robert Karas outlined a number of reasons why they feel the claim should be dismissed.

People and animals can use ivermectin to treat parasitic worms, head lice, and skin disorders, according to the FDA. Its use in humans for COVID-19 has not been authorized by the FDA. Before four imates sued last month, the sheriff acknowledged in August that certain detainees had been administered ivermectin for the coronavirus.

The detainees claim they were given the anti-parasitic medicine to treat their COVID-19 infection but were told it was something else. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit against the Washington County Jail, Sheriff Tim Helder, and Dr. Robert Karas, the jail's medical director. In August, Helder reported that he had been administered ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19, according to The Denver Channel.

Pennsylvania Doctor Got Fired for Prescribing Ivermectin

Meanwhile, a Pennsylvania doctor was recently accused of administering ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19, two treatments that have been labeled as unsafe for the condition. During her time at Tower Health, the doctor, Edith Behr, was accused of issuing prescriptions for the medications, which are not approved for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19, according to the business.

The charges against Dr. Behr were discovered on Wednesday, according to the healthcare system. Dr. Behr could not be reached for comment. On Thursday, she had been fired. Tower Health is a regional health system located in Philadelphia with two hospitals: Phoenixville Hospital in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and Pottstown Hospital in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. According to Tower Health, Dr. Behr worked at both the Phoenixville and Pottstown hospitals.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, she is both a doctor and a surgeon. Dr. Behr failed to satisfy the rules for administering drugs for "off-label" uses, according to Tower Health, which included evaluating patients' medical histories, New York Times reported.