In this regard, a court in February cited Patanjali for continuing to publish misleading advertisements despite the brand’s promise not to do so in November 2023. And in April, a court rejected an apology from Ramdev and Patanjali’s managing director Acharya Balkrishna, calling it “perfunctory.”
IMA’s side appears strong given that in the ongoing legal proceedings, the courts have agreed that Patanjali is guilty of misleading advertising. However, the danger lies in conflating unethical practices with traditional medicine alone, thereby undermining its credibility.
Also read: Center recommends Patanjali’s Coronil as an adjunct drug for coronavirus, tells SC amid publicity brouhaha
Ayurveda is also important
Today, allopathy dominates medical practice worldwide, and alternative treatments such as homeopathy are also used to some extent. However, you must understand that allopathy is a very new medical system compared to Ayurveda.
In India, Ayurveda, along with other traditional systems such as Unani, Siddha and Sowa Rigpa, was the main basis of medicine before the advent of allopathy. Although allopathy and homeopathy are now mainstream here too, Ayurveda remains an important system of medicine, and much has been written about Ayurveda in Indian literature. Information about many Ayurvedic specialists, surgeons, doctors, and medicines is available.
Ayurveda not only provides information to treat various diseases, but also provides special knowledge to lead a healthy life and prevent diseases. This focus on preventive care is his USP of the Indian medical system, especially Ayurveda. Recently, the Government of India has made great efforts in promoting the traditional medical system through the AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) sector.
However, there were many instances in which allopathic doctors and their groups ridiculed other health care systems. Organizations such as the IMA also have sufficient resources to fight legal battles. However, this does not mean that allopathic physicians are immune to perpetuated misinformation and medical errors.
Medicine and “moral” benefits?
The case against Patanjali stems from alleged violations of the Narcotics and Magical Therapy (Offensive Advertisements) Act, 1954 regarding misleading advertisements. However, this problem is not limited to any particular health system. This has been observed in a variety of medical practices, including allopathic medicine.
In fact, a few years ago, the IMA directed its members to refrain from promoting “no cure, no pay” or “cure guarantee” due to violations of the Medical Council of India (MCI) Code of Ethics and Drugs and Witchcraft. . Remedy law. The directive comes after a doctor and his wife who run an IVF clinic in Mumbai had their licenses suspended for promising guaranteed pregnancy and refunds if the treatment failed.
However, even reputable institutions like IMA sometimes overstep or ignore regulations by inappropriately endorsing commercial products. For example, in 2008, IMA came under fire from the Ministry of Health for supporting international conglomerate PepsiCo’s Tropicana juice and Quaker Oats. Similar controversies arose in 2015 over the endorsement of a water purifier brand and in 2019 over the “certification” of a purported antibacterial light bulb.
Not only this, but a 2019 report by the NGO Support for Health Advocacy and Training Initiatives (SATHI) found that representatives of major pharmaceutical companies They allege that they are bribing allopathic doctors. This later resulted in Prime Minister Narendra Modi warning pharmaceutical companies to stop such practices.
While the court’s intent to enforce the rules is commendable, what is needed is a uniform and fair application of the law. All healthcare professionals and organizations, not just Ramdev, must comply with these regulations to ensure transparency, trust, and the highest standards of healthcare communication and practice.
Last year, when the Indian government made it mandatory for doctors to prescribe medicines with generic names for affordability and access to treatment, many doctors, including the IMA, believed the “pharmaceutical ecosystem” was ready. He objected, claiming that there was no such thing.
Meanwhile, the government is opening Jan Aushadhi centers to mass market generic drugs and is trying to tighten rules for ethical practices by doctors and hospitals. On the other hand, IMA and its members have no intention of giving up benefits such as the ability to attend conferences sponsored by pharmaceutical companies.
In this situation, talk of ethics by allopathic physicians and their associations seems absurd.
Also read: Educated women have fewer children.Not good for India’s demographic dividend
All systems have broken down due to the new coronavirus infection (Covid-19)
IMA filed a petition in court in 2022 asking the central government, Advertising Standards Council of India and Central Consumer Protection Authority of India to take action against advertisements promoting the AYUSH scheme by disrespecting allopathic medicine. I asked him to take the course. It also raised concerns about the spread of misinformation that tarnishes the reputation of modern medicine, and argued that Patanjali’s advertisements violate existing laws. Much of the controversy surrounding Patanjali centers on Coronil, a formulation recommended by the Ministry of AYUSH as an adjunct to fight the coronavirus.
It is well known that allopathy, the so-called evidence-based medical system, has also proven ineffective during the coronavirus pandemic. Everyone, including the WHO, was initially in the dark. All drugs were administered only on a “trial and error” basis, and many had no clear benefit. Under such circumstances, many Indians placed their trust in “Kada”-Ayurvedic preparations that do not contain trace amounts of allopathic drugs.
In this context, if Patanjali allegedly promoted Coronil and other drugs and made huge profits from it, it is likely that pharmaceutical companies made even more money by selling ineffective drugs. Isn’t that also true?
Despite uncertainty surrounding the effectiveness of treatments, injectable drugs such as remdesivir were sold at high prices, and drug companies reaped huge profits. During this time, the idea that it was safer to treat the coronavirus at home spread to the general public as thousands of people lost their lives in hospitals.
We need to understand that the issue is not about claims and counterarguments, but about morality.
IMA and other allopathic doctors have no moral basis to condemn AYUSH or AYUSH companies. The ultimate goal of all health systems is to protect and promote the health and well-being of the public.
Ayurveda is based on the concept of healthy living and provides low-cost treatments based on ancient knowledge traditions, while allopathy provides medicines and other treatments for many serious illnesses. . Both systems can contribute to public welfare. But you have no right to claim that all other systems are “unscientific” or “inaccurate.” The real goal should be to improve public health, not to contradict each other.
Ashwani Mahajan is a professor at PGDAV College, University of Delhi. He tweets @ashwani_mahajan. Views are personal.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
View full article
