An Edward Hospital patient who received the controversial drug ivermectin to treat his COVID-19 infection is breathing on his own, according to one of his attorneys.
The attorney provided an update to DuPage County Judge Paul Fullerton on Friday morning. Fullerton had ordered the Naperville hospital earlier this month to allow an outside doctor to administer oral ivermectin to 71-year-old Sun Ng over the hospital’s objection.
Ng, a visitor from Hong Kong, was hospitalized on Oct. 14 and placed on a ventilator four days later. His daughter, who has legal control of his health care, asked the hospital to allow ivermectin treatment.
Her lawyer, Ralph Lorigo, said the daughter has been emailing him updates, and she “feels this is a miraculous situation.”
After receiving five days of ivermectin treatment, Ng removed his breathing tube himself, according to Lorigo. He said Ng is no longer in an intensive-care unit.
But Joseph Monahan, a lawyer representing Edward Hospital, told Fullerton Ng’s condition was improving before the order to give him ivermectin was issued. Monahan also said the hospital was unable to confirm the contents of the drug given because the doctor obtained it online from India.
“We continue to strenuously object to the false science narrative that is being given to the court without basis,” Monahan said.
“The arrogance of the hospital is amazing to me,” Lorigo retorted.
Fullerton said all he wanted to know was Ng’s condition.
“I think we all just wanted him to get better,” Fullerton said. “I’m not saying ivermectin did anything or did not do anything.”
The hospital has appealed Fullerton’s order.
Lorigo is a New York lawyer who has been litigating ivermectin cases nationwide.