PremiumUnion Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan today wrote a letter to yoga guru Ramdev and asking him to withdraw from his recent remarks where in a video he allegedly claimed that “allopathy is a stupid science" and medicines such as remdesivir, faviflu, and other drugs approved by the Drugs Controller General of India have failed to treat COVID-19 patients.
Citing a video circulating on social media, the Indian Medical Association on Saturday had said Ramdev has claimed that allopathy is a "stupid science" and medicines such as remdesivir, faviflu, and other drugs approved by the Drugs Controller General of India have failed to treat COVID-19 patients.
Indian Medical Association also quoted Ramdev as saying that "lakhs of patients have died after taking allopathic medicines". These remarks were denied as "false" by the Haridwar-based Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust. In a letter to Ramdev, Vardhan asked him to withdraw his statement on allopathy.
"The statement disrespects the corona warriors and hurt the sentiments of the country. Your statement on allopathy can break the morale of healthcare workers and weaken our fight against COVID-19," he said. Vardhan said that allopathic medicines have saved lives of crores and comments that it is responsible for death of lakhs is "extremely unfortunate".
Meanwhile,Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust on Saturday denied allegations by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) that yoga guru Ramdev has misled people by making "unlearned" statements against allopathy and defamed scientific medicine.
Citing a video circulating on social media, the IMA had earlier on Saturday said Ramdev is seen saying that "allopathy ek aisi stupid aur diwalilya science hai... (allopathy is such a stupid science)"
Ramdev has "utmost regards" for doctors and support staff who have been working day and night during such a challenging time of the pandemic, said a statement issued by the Haridwar-based Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust.
The IMA said Ramdev deserves to be prosecuted for disobeying and causing danger to the life of many by making them believe to not to take the advice of allopathy doctors.
"The IMA demands and resolves if the minister (Harsh Vardhan) is not taking suo moto action we will be forced to resort to democratic means of struggle to propagate the truth to the common man and knock the doors of the judiciary to get due to justice," it said.
Taking people for ransom and winning business by defaming scientific medicine are unpardonable offenses, the IMA said.
Citing Ramdev's remarks it said such "untutored and unlearned" statements are a threat to society.
“Lakhs of patients have died after taking allopathic medicines", the association said quoting the yoga guru.
Ramdev should be prosecuted under the Epidemic Diseases Act as "untutored" statements are "a threat to the literate society of the country as well as to the poor people falling prey to him", the apex doctors' body said in a statement.
"The Union health minister (Harsh Vardhan) who himself is a practising modern medicine allopathic postgraduate and head of this (health) ministry, should either accept the challenge and accusation of this gentleman and dissolve the modern medical facility or boldly face and prosecute the person for his words of arson on the sovereignty of the country and book him under the Epidemic Act to save millions of people from such unscientific utterances," the IMA said.
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