Three public officials threatened physicians at St. Peter's Health in Helena, Mont., after physicians refused to treat a patient with ivermectin, The Independent Record reported Oct. 19.
The situation occurred after a woman in her 80s wanted to be treated with ivermectin. A state trooper was dispatched to the hospital after physicians refused to do so at the request of the patient's family.
A spokesperson for the hospital told The Independent Record the hospital works closely with public officials and regulatory agencies, and occasionally receives inquiries about care, but said physicians were "harassed" and "threatened."
"These officials have no medical training or experience, yet they were insisting our providers give treatments for COVID-19 that are not authorized, clinically approved or within the guidelines established by the FDA and the CDC," the spokesperson said. "In addition, they threatened to use their position of power to force our doctors and nurses to provide this care."
The hospital did not name the elected officials in the statement, but Attorney General Austin Knudsen's office confirmed his participation in a conference call with hospital executives.
"The Attorney General's Office received a report from a family that said St. Peter's Hospital was violating their relative's rights by refusing to allow her to receive prescribed medications, not delivering legal documents, not allowing them to see their relative, and at one point, even cutting off text message communication between them and their family member," a spokesperson for the attorney general said.
The hospital, which has visitor restrictions in place, strongly rebutted the statement.