Doctors in India have hit out against yoga guru Baba Ramdev over his controversial statements against modern medicine and mocking of COVID patients.
Recently, the controversial guru said that tens of thousands died of COVID after taking modern medicines, and also mocked patients for trying to get oxygen cylinders.
The guru subsequently withdrew his statement after being criticised by the country’s health minister. But on Monday he again took a swipe at modern medicine for not having a cure for some diseases.
Despite India’s modern allopathic healthcare system, alternative therapies like ayurveda and homoeopathy are hugely popular in India. This has helped many gurus to launch successful businesses with sales of herbal medicines and products. India also has a Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush) that promotes traditional medicine systems.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which represents allopathy doctors in India, has criticised the guru for his “insensitive” remarks in the middle of the pandemic. Such statements from a guru with millions of followers were “irresponsible and demoralising”, said doctors spoken to by the BBC.
The country has been grappling with a surge of infections caused by a ‘double mutant’ SARS-CoV-2 variant as well as prematurely relaxed social distancing rules.
The controversy
A video of Baba Ramdev mocking patients for trying to find oxygen went viral earlier this month, making references to oxygen shortages in several cities in April and May.
“God has given us free oxygen, why don’t we breathe that? How can there be a shortage when God has filled the atmosphere with oxygen? Fools are looking for oxygen cylinders. Just breathe the free oxygen. Why are you complaining about shortage of oxygen and beds and crematoriums?” he said.
The statement drew sharp criticism from doctors and families of COVID patients who demanded an apology.
Just two weeks later, another video surfaced in which he criticises doctors, blaming COVID deaths on them. Many doctors expressed their anger over Twitter, some went so far as to demand his arrest. In the face of mounting pressures, India’s Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan issued a statement asking the guru to withdraw his remarks.
“Allopathy and the doctors attached to it have given new lives to millions of people. It’s very unfortunate for you to say that people died from consuming allopathic medicines.
“We should not forget that this battle can only be won through united efforts. In this war, our doctors, nurses and other health workers are risking their lives to save people’s lives. Their dedication towards serving mankind in this crisis is unparalleled and exemplary,” Dr Vardhan said.
Baba Ramdev withdrew his controversial statement in a Sunday tweet — only to issue a letter the next day asking the IMA why modern medicine had no cure for 25 diseases, including diabetes and hypertension.
This has again infuriated doctors. Prominent pulmonologist Dr A Fathahudeen, who has treated thousands of COVID patients, told the BBC that such statements cause lasting damage.
“For more than a year, healthcare workers like me have been in a war-like situation. We have saved tens of thousand of lives. It’s really unfortunate, insulting and hurtful to read such statements,” he said.
Dr Fathahudeen added that modern medicine had evolved over the years with constant research and studies. “We follow evidence-based practice. At any given time, thousands of researchers are working to come up with cures. Look at the progress we have made in cancer treatment. We have to constantly evolve and learn. It’s hard to trust any branch of medicine that offers absolute cure for every disease.”
Dr Fathahudeen also said that such statements manifest doubts in the minds of people when trust in medicines and vaccines is most needed in the middle of a raging pandemic.
Baba Ramdev’s rise to fame
Televised yoga classes were Baba Ramdev’s ticket to fame; he had a following of millions and he received worldwide praise for promoting yoga and healthy living.
He successfully leveraged his fame to create a business empire. In 2006, he helped launch a company called Patanjali Ayurveda to sell herbal medicines and a few years later, the business expanded to sell almost any product. Since last year, the company has been selling a product called Coronil that it has made a number of false claims over, including that it was a WHO-approved COVID treatment.
Source: BBC News
