"That won't be happening": Why Clive Palmer refused ICU treatment
Clive Palmer rejected ICU treatment when he contracted Covid and instead called specialists in the US who treated former President Donald Trump.
The billionaire was rushed to Pindara Private Hospital on the Gold Coast with breathing difficulties on February 27 after contracting the Delta variant of Covid.
The 67-year-old mining magnate was also diagnosed with double pneumonia, but refused ICU treatment which was strongly suggested by doctors.
Palmer instead left the hospital and returned to his mansion where he called the US specialists on Zoom, where he was fast-tracked into a drug trial where they pumped a cocktail of five antiviral drugs into him.
Two of the drugs included ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, which have not yet been approved by the Therapeutics Goods Association (TGA).
Palmer’s senior management contacted American gastroenterologist and Ivermectin advocate Professor Thomas Borody along with a team of US specialists.
The US doctors worked with Palmer’s doctors to monitor his treatment at home, including having an ambulance waiting outside in the event he needed to be rushed back to hospital.
“I would have died otherwise, without doubt,’’ Palmer told Sky News.
“I've been told that without the antiviral intervention on that Sunday night I would likely have been dead within five hours.
“The US specialists, a couple of whom treated (Donald) Trump for Covid, were very strong about not going onto a ventilator.
“I had faith in the US doctors. I'm not being critical of the Pindara people at all. They believed ventilation was necessary but I had alternative advice and I stuck with that.
“I said that won't be happening and I went home.”
Palmer was also high risk because of his age, weight and being unvaccinated and confessed he was still not feeling the best.
“I started to come good within 10 hours,” he said.
“I'm still not 100 per cent. I get tired pretty easily but I'm not getting any younger I suppose.”
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