"If the Vitamin C lobby feel so strongly it is the miracle cure they say that it is - let's prove it" - David Gallaher
Dr David Gallaher is a Principal Advisor to the Health Ministry, and a Senior Intensive Care Specialist. He was interviewed by Melanie Reid on her "Vitamin C: Is it really a key factor in recovery?" a follow up to her "Living Proof?" segment.
Transcript of complete interview with Dr David Gallaher shown on 60 Minutes. Any breaks in the conversation are marked with --- any errors are ours and ours alone.
Dr Gallaher: With regard to high dose intravenous Vitamin C, there is no convincing evidence at all in this population - that it works - no convincing evidence at all.
Melanie Reid: (Voiceover: Dr David Gallaher is a Principal Advisor to the Health Ministry, and a Senior Intensive Care Specialist)
Dr Gallaher: We as a group believe it's harmful, in this setting of critical illness, the potential for harm outweighs the putative benefits.
Melanie Reid: So when families say repeatedly, "Why could we not just have tried? He was going to die." What is your answer to that?
Dr Galleher: I wouldn't be comfortable giving it to them because I think that would be a deceitful act. We are not in the business of actually raising false hopes - you know - we are in the business of being real and being honest.
With regard to the position being put forward by the Vitamin C lobby - we use a term called ortho-bias. They are not coming at it with equipoise.
Melanie Reid: Are you?
Dr Gallaher: Yeah, absolutely. If there was a treatment - if Vitamin C truly did fix these people who were so desperately ill, then why wouldn't we give it? Our lives are dedicated to improving people's lives and improving their outcomes. It is madness to think that we wouldn't.
Melanie Reid: How many Vitamin C infusions have you done?
Dr Gallaher: I've not given any.
Melanie Reid: So how do you know it doesn't work?
Dr Gallaher: From a critical appraisal of the literature.
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following is an interview with Prof Ian Brighthope, Specialist of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, in Melbourne He has used intravenous Vitamin C for thirty years in private hospitals and clinics.
"The patients who have had Vitamin C intravenously in NZ, will be laughing at those doctors, and be laughing at the medical professional and will be absolutely disgusted with the health profession, as I am here in Australia"
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"People don't die of swine flu, they die of a Vitamin C deficiency. It is absolute neglect to not allow or prohibit the use of intravenous Vitamin C for somebody with an acute viral illness, like the swine flu, in the early stages. I am absolutely horrified that it is continuing in hospitals.
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"It doesn't work because they haven't tried it. It doesn't work because they have been told it doesn't work. And this is a major myth in medical profession that needs to be debunked once and for all. People are dying because of the attitude of the medical profession. "
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Dr Gallaher: I am thrilled that Allan Smith got better. Absolutely thrilled - absolutely thrilled. The link of causation with Vitamin C - I mean - there is no proof of causation.
He got Vitamin C - he got better. He was also on a range of extraordinary treatments - extra corporeal membrane oxygenation, very careful lung ventilation, 24-7 nursing care"
Melanie Reid: I think nobody disputes that he got incredible treatment at this hospital. The question is: All the clinicians in this hospital advised that his machines be turned off. He then got high dose intravenous Vitamin C and he improved.
Dr Gallaher: There were other things that were going on with that man that could equally explain that course of events, that improvement within his condition"
Melanie Reid: Is that not all a bit convenient?
Dr Gallaher: Well, you know, that's life. You know, Melanie. You could look at it through a very narrow prism and say 'oh, it's Vitamin C' - it's too complicated to say that.
Melanie Reid: I don't think anyone is saying it's just Vitamin C. It certainly looks like, the Vitamin C is the thing at the very end of the line was the difference between him living and dying.
Dr Gallaher: You could look right across the board at a range of complex interventions that happened to patient's all across the country - and can you go back and say - one thing. A bus drove past - at that particular time and they got better. Was it the bus?
Melanie Reid: I don't think we are talking about that. We are talking about, as I say again, one of the most researched therapeutic substances of the world.
Dr Gallaher: Well, I don't know. Is it? I don't think it is. I absolutely dispute that. You know when I started....
Melanie Reid: - but the professors in Australia say that orthodox clinical physicians, they need to read more.
Dr Gallaher: Well, you know, I think we all need to read more. I think there is no question about that. And like, I am going to say it again,I don't think for a millisecond we have a monopoly on the truth here. But we have got a framework to assess things - it is critically important that we actually apply that framework. And it's not hit and hope.
(the end of the interview with Dr Gallaher)
Transcribed by Meg: Typed in by Meg & Coach
