HSSD has serious questions to answer

If our Guernsey financial institutions were attacked in this manner, then our independent GFSC would step in to protect the reputation of our island-based businesses by providing honesty statements and legislation regarding their duty and role in ensuring that no laws are being broken and that the reputation of the economy of our island is of paramount importance.

Guernsey States-run Health regulators HSSD, however, have wittingly allowed what the BBC has now wrongly portrayed as illegal drug selling from Guernsey with potentially devastating effect. Why then are HSSD and BBC simply allowed to do this and not be subjected to investigation for both ignoring and incorrectly reporting on this alleged illegal practice without them having to fully disclose and justify their actions?

What will happen if the MHRA prove that GcMaf products they confiscated from Immuno Biotech Ltd are indeed contaminated and as such may have caused serious health issues with the local people who have taken GcMaf? Then HSSD will have justified their advice and that of the MHRA that these people should all rush to their doctors.

However, our committee believe and have portrayed publicly, that there have been great benefits of self-treatment with GcMaf demonstrated by desperately ill locals, some of whom were willing to go live on the BBC One Show to present this.

Two hours filmed for just two minutes of unjustified air time, also completely overshadowed by a personal view from Dr Saleyha Ahsan, which was both without sincerity and biased towards her own personal beliefs. Not a balanced presentation or view and seriously outside the BBC's strict guidelines on journalism and reporting. However, Dr Ahsan is a freelance sensationalism-seeking journalist – 'Trust me I'm a doctor'.

Therefore, the BBC have, through a very biased, self-opinionated and smug Dr Ahsan, been allowed to wrongly present that our public and others have been conned into purchasing 'drugs' from a business that was being run from Guernsey.

What was not reported live on BBC is that GcMaf is not a drug but simply a protein derived 'medicinal product' as classified by our HSSD, and was in fact endorsed by HSSD in Guernsey for personal use. Dr Ahsan and the producer Malcolm Prior certainly knew about this HSSD classification and endorsement, but how does that sit with them reporting 'Sensational contaminated drug selling' from an idyllic tax haven... It simply doesn't fit, so let's leave it on the cutting room floor. High quality professional people we are dealing with here then.

David Noakes may be open to criticism for claims he makes but he was openly supported by those who took part or witnessed the interviews, which took place after Dr Ahsan had interviewed and baited Mr Noakes prior to meeting with them and not before as reported in 7 May's Guernsey Press. Those present certainly voiced their 100% support for the opportunities and advice Mr Noakes and his company had given them all.

The interview, with local people who had taken GcMaf, was conducted as a complete witch hunt by Dr Ahsan, who had to be challenged on her motives and standard of questions throughout the whole interview and again questioned for imparting her own beliefs on the use of GcMaf. This included her response when asked whether, even if there were no life-saving approved medical option to treat herself or members of her family, would she endorse treatment using unlicensed products – as in the recent Ebola situation where people's lives had been saved? 'Definitely not' or simply 'No' was her answer – but this part of the interview also ended up on the cutting room floor.

Our committee's stance has always been to support freedom of choice in the use of treatments by terminally ill patients, which HSSD have now denied. We are now demanding answers on all claims made about GcMaf and Immuno Biotech Ltd. It is over 90 days since claims and accusations were made but still no facts or evidence have been presented.

Let's sincerely hope that HSSD's claims and accusations about Immuno Biotech products, which are now supposedly unfit for human consumption and produced in laboratories that were not fit for purpose, prove to be 'unjustified'.

If not, just what duty and responsibility have HSSD demonstrated in wittingly allowing Immuno Biotech Ltd to set up and supply GcMaf from Guernsey, and most importantly, just what claims could people make against them if their health had been knowingly put at jeopardy by those elected to uphold the law and protect them.

We therefore demand that the people of Guernsey receive a full hearing on whether or not their family members and others have been allowed to take a potentially life-threatening contaminated 'medicinal product' due to HSSD allowing them to become dependent on GcMaf.

If the hearing proves that there have been positive benefits of allowing the distribution, promotion and use of unlicensed medicines through Guernsey, which in itself is not an illegal practice, then HSSD should congratulate themselves and step up to defend their actions by overruling the MHRA and reinstating the GcMaf supply as soon as possible.

If, however, the hearing proves contamination, unfit laboratory conditions and the associated potential risks to health that both MHRA and HSSD have claimed to be true, then what claims may be expected against HSSD for allowing this practice to go unchecked with their knowledge and written endorsement for so long?

It therefore appears that our HSSD have acted in an unjustified manner no matter what the outcome. However, surely this would be so much more acceptable if they can demonstrate that there is no proven damage to people's health.

A hearing is therefore of tantamount importance to protect our island from further damage and to bring closure to the GcMaf debate.

The BBC have severely damaged themselves and potentially Guernsey with a thoroughly despicable and biased film, via the One Show, which should be challenged and defended by all Guernsey parties in a united manner.

Surely this is how the whole issue of GcMaf, Immuno Biotech Ltd, and David Noakes should have handled by our Guernsey HSSD in the first place.

Is it too late now?

TONY VERON,

GcMaf Steering Committee.