Indian Medical Association (IMA) president Dr. RV Asokan has strongly condemned Yoga guru Baba Ramdev for disparaging modern medicine and falsely claiming to cure COVID-19. In an interview with news agency PTI, Dr. Asokan stated that Ramdev’s actions crossed a “red line” by undermining the medical profession during the government’s vaccination campaign.
“He went against the national interest when the government was driving the vaccination programme. He said modern medicine is a stupid and bankrupt science. And he was having such a high profile that, you know, people believed what he said. That was the unfortunate part of it,” Dr. Asokan said.
The IMA initiated legal action against Ramdev’s company, Patanjali, under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act. According to Dr. Asokan, Ramdev’s false claims about Coronil, a Patanjali tablet, and his alleged statement that it was approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), prompted the association’s leadership to challenge his actions.
Dr. Asokan clarified that the IMA respects traditional systems of medicine and has worked alongside them for decades. However, he emphasized that some sections of society have misconstrued the IMA’s stance as anti-traditional, leading to the public apology issued to the Supreme Court.
Regarding the Supreme Court’s involvement in the case, Dr. Asokan stated that the court’s final verdict is still pending. He added that the IMA will determine its satisfaction based on the outcome of the court proceedings, which will determine whether Ramdev’s disparagement of modern medicine crossed the line of acceptable discourse.
Dr. Asokan highlighted the IMA’s ongoing efforts to educate its members on the importance of ethical conduct and the need to adapt to changing medical practices. He emphasized that ethics evolve over time and the IMA remains committed to guiding its members in adhering to the highest standards of professionalism.
