IMA seeks action against Ramdev’s ‘allopathy is stupid science’ remark

IMA seeks action against Ramdev’s ‘allopathy is stupid science’ remark

Ishita.Mishra@timesgroup.com

Dehradun:23.05.2021 

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Saturday said that the Union health ministry should take action against yoga guru Ramdev for saying "lakhs have died from taking allopathic medicines for Covid-19".

Ramdev has stoked a major controversy with a video in which he can be heard saying “allopathy is such a stupid and bankrupt (diwalia) science whose various treatments for Covid like chloroquine, Remdesivir, antibiotics, steroids and now even plasma therapy have failed and cost the lives of patients.”

He went on to say: “I am saying a very big thing which may invite controversy but it is true that lakhs of people have died due to taking allopathic medicines during this pandemic. Their number is far greater than those who died due to unavailability of oxygen,” Ramdev can be heard saying in the video while addressing a group of followers a few days ago at the Patanjali Yogpeeth campus in Haridwar.

IMA reacted angrily to the comments by Ramdev and doctors across India demanded action against him. In an appeal on Saturday to the Union health ministry, the doctors' body said, "Action should be taken (against Ramdev) ... he has misled people by making unlearned statements against allopathy and defamed scientific medicine.” IMA also said Ramdev should be prosecuted under the Epidemic Diseases Act as his “untutored statements are a threat to the literate society of the country as well as to the poor people falling prey to him”.

The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) lodged a complaint with Delhi Police for filing an FIR against the yoga guru, accusing him of defaming and harming the reputation of allopathic medicine. It also sent a legal notice to Ramdev asking him to tender an unconditional public apology for his comments.

A statement signed by Dr JA Jayalal, national president, and Dr JM Lele, honorary secretary general of IMA, said that “it is a well-known fact that the yoga guru and his associate Balkrishna have been taking modern medical allopathy treatment as and when they get into illness-...Now to mislead the public at large, he is making false and baseless accusations so that he can sell his illegal and unapproved drugs. Enough is enough. With the pain and agony of loss of 1200 modern medicine doctors, amidst limited infrastructure and manpower, the majority of modern medicine doctors are working in the frontline with a sense of compassion”.

Ramdev stoked a controversy when he said “allopathy is a bankrupt science whose various treatments like Remdesivir, antibiotics have failed and cost the lives of patients”