A Harare doctor Jack Stone has appeared before the courts accused of injecting animal medicines into humans during the peak of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe.
It is alleged that there was no clinical evidence that the medicine is safe and effective, according to NewZimbabwe.com.
Stone, who is allegedly advocating a combination of therapy for patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19, appeared Thursday before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi.
However, Stone defended herself, stating that she was given approval by the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe to treat people, but the issue was that “some members in the medical sector are very conservative and they do not want any change”.
Her lawyer said Stone was experienced to an extent that fears regarding her operations should be cleared.
Stone got in trouble after a letter of complaint was written to the Registrar of Medical and Dental Professional Council of Zimbabwe and signed by Rashida Ferrand, a Professor of International Health, several experts and other health professionals who complained Stone’s actions needed urgent review.
They also want her fitness to continue practising in the country reviewed.
However, and led by her lawyer, Stone told the court that “I graduated with an MBCH first class degree in 1999”. She told the court:
I also have a traditional healer’s practicing licence. l did my internship in South Africa because of the lack of resources in Zimbabwe. l have 35 years of practising as a health practitioner and have 6 publications so far.
This is the third pandemic l have encountered as a health practitioner. Some members in the medical sector are very conservative and they do not want any change.
Stone said between December 2020 and January 2021, there was so much chaos after many medical practitioners closed shop and ignored calls while people were dying in car parks and at home.
She denied administering any medication or treating anyone on January 18 as alleged, adding she never got any complaints from the public. Responding to allegations that she injected human medicines into humans, she said:
l have never and would never inject animal evidence into a human being and l challenge anyone who can say that he has been injected with animal medicine to come before the court.
In a letter to the council, it was alleged that Stone had transgressed the strong code of conduct that the medical profession is bound to, and was potentially putting her patients at risk of harm. She denies the allegations.
The trial continues on Monday next week.
