The Doctors Syndicate has called on whoever promoted for the device that was allegedly said to be able to cure Hepatitis C virus to apologize to all Egyptians.
In a statement on Sunday, the syndicate decided to refer doctors participating at the committee that worked on the device to investigations. Legal measures against whoever took part in misleading the people are currently being considered.
“Scientific assumptions behind operation of the device did not pass through necessary stages that scientific research requires, starting with laboratory experiments, then experiments on animals,” the statement added. In case the previous steps were successful, according to the syndicate, experiments then could take place on volunteers of patients before any results are declared in conferences.
In case effectiveness was proved, the new method for treatment could be announced in media, it added.
“Unfortunately, the device was declared as new method of treatment without commitment to essential steps and ethics of scientific research. Some of those affiliated to the armed forces engineering department as well as media hosts and doctors promoted to the device, which made some patients abandon their medicine of Interferon causing them relapse as they were mislead by the new rapid treatment,” the syndicate said.
Last year, Egyptian military claimed it had developed a device that can detect and cure AIDs and hepatitis C infections without the need to take blood samples. The international and scientific community broke into an uproar over the controversy and many say the incident severely damaged Egypt's international reputation.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
