Wisconsin Supreme Court rules hospital can’t be forced to provide ivermectin to Covid-19 patient

The conservative-majority Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a hospital could not be forced to supply an antiparasitic drug to a patient with covid-19.

The panel voted 6-1 in favor of Aurora Health Care; three liberal and three conservative magistrates supported the hospital and only Conservative Justice Robecca Bradley was against.

The decision upholds a lower court ruling against Allen Gahl, who sued Aurora in October 2021 when the Doctors refused to treat his uncle, John Zingsheim, with ivermectin.

Gahl was authorized to make medical decisions on behalf of his uncle and had researched the drug online after the patient was put on a ventilator due to complications from Covid-19.

Ivermectin became popular with conservatives after commentators and even some right-wing doctors described the anthelmintic drug as a miracle cure for the coronavirus and other diseases.

However, the Food and Drug Administration had not approved it for covid-19 care and warns that its misuse could not only be harmful but fatal.

Gahl obtained a prescription for ivermectin from a retired doctor who had never seen Zingsheim or his medical team, but Aurora Health staff said that they refused to administer the medication because it did not meet hospital standards.

None of the information in the complaint Gahl later filed against the hospital came directly from medical professionals, according to court documents.

Waukesha County Circuit Court ordered the hospital staff to supply the medicine to Singsheimbut later modified his decision to state that Gahl had to provide it to be administered by a doctor.

An appeals court overturned that decision after Aurora’s lawyers argued that a judge could not compel a medical provider to provide treatment whom he considered deficient.

JLMR