Ima Protest

New Delhi- The Indian Medical Association on Monday condemned the latest narrative developing around the Covid-19 disease in the political sphere in which leaders are attributing the fallen trajectory of positive cases to a situation of an 'endemic'. This is amid a state when resurgence of cases are witnessed in more than half a dozen states including Punjab, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi etc. An infection is said to be endemic in a population when it is constantly maintained at a baseline level in a geographic area without external inputs. The apex association of found painful to observe that political leaders are making unsubstantiated claims about the Covid-19 status which should have been reciprocated by nodal medical research agencies. "It is painful to note the discussions on endemic vs pandemic status of Covid-19 are echoing in the political corridors. However, it ought to be substantiated by scientific evidence by the World Health Organisation (WHO) or ICMR only," the IMA said. A day ago, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said coronavirus was nearing an "endemic" phase in the national capital. However, Delhi, for over a week, has been witnessing a rise in daily new cases reported. The association feels that unauthorised political statements will invoke a false sense of security among the public and would lead them let down their guard against the viral disease. "Unauthorised political statements shall invoke false sense of security. The IMA feels as the world's countries are still reeling under the clutches of this disease, we need to deem it as pandemic only at this stage and work hard from all cylinders of preventive, curative and rehabilitative works," the association stated. The IMA noted that for the last one week the infection has shown 35 to 40% increase in the number of cases from different parts of the country and even in the national capital, the daily average has risen up from 100 to 140 patients. "It is not appropriate to call the current stage the end of pandemic or an endemic. The introduction of much efficacious and safe corona vaccine in our country, is a tool for us to face this challenging war with confidence.The invasion of muted virus from UK, South Africa and Brazil are still haunting us," said Dr JA Jayalal, president, IMA. "Let us not boast or trumpet and indulge in prognosticating the course of this viral disease and lower our guard on preventive measures against this dreaded disease. The good gains of cohesive frontal services of upkeeping physical distance, hand and respiratory hygiene, masking and the timely supportive vaccination drive must not go in vain with this tussle of words," he said. (IANS)

New Delhi- A state unit of Indian Medical Association (IMA) has turned against the national body over its sharp criticism of Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan for endorsing Patanjali's Coronil tablet. The Delhi Medical Association (DMA), a state branch of IMA, has called out its national executive body's statement against Harsh Vardhan defamatory and an act of garnering cheap publicity. Incidentally, Harsh Vardhan is a past President of the state branch "The IMA has fabricated the facts to make a sensational case against the Health Minister only to achieve cheap publicity by abusing a sincere dedicated and honest member of IMA who has brought laurels to whole medical community by occupying the position of the Union Minister of Health by his sheer hard work, sincerity and integrity," the DMA said in a statement. "The Delhi Medical Association strongly condemns the press release from Indian Medical Association dated 22-2-2021. The contents of the press release are baseless, unauthorised, illegal and defamatory for the clean and honest image of Hon'ble Union Minister of Health Harsh Vardhan," the association stated. On Monday, the IMA had questioned Harsh Vardhan about promoting Patanjali's "unscientific" ayurvedic tablet Coronil as the first evidence-based medicine for Covid-19 and sought a public explanation from him. "Being the Health Minister of the country and a modern medicine doctor, how ethical is it to promote an unscientific product before the country? How justified is it to release a false, fabricated and unscientific product? If Coronil is so effective, why spend Rs 35,000 crore on vaccinations?" IMA had asked Harsh Vardhan in a letter. The apex body of doctors also accused the minister of violating the Medical Council of India's Code of Ethics by promoting a drug with unsubstantiated claims of treatment. The IMA had also said that it would write to the National Medical Commission about the "blatant disrespect" for the MCI code. The issue started when Harsh Vardhan, along with Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari, attended an event on Friday called by Patanjali wherein it presented a research paper for its drug Coronil which it touted as an effective medicine in prevention and treatment of Covid-19. The drug firm also publicised that it has received Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (CoPP) as per World Health Organisation (WHO) certification scheme, which the UN body denied publicly. DMA said that Harsh Vardhan attended Patanjali's event in his capacity as the Union Health Minister and not as a modern medicine practitioner. "Harsh Vardhan didn't speak a word about the CORONIL, where is the question of promoting it. He only emphasised time and again that we intend to develop Ayurveda into an evidence based medical system of treatment in Modern India," the state body said while vouching for Harsh Vardhan. It added that the IMA has no authority to take action against the members as it is a voluntary body. "Even the medical council can take action against its members only in regard to their professional conduct and not for any Ministerial action," the DMA claimed. Meanwhile, the state unit asked its national organization to not interfere in trail of any drug and advised the IMA to focus on its fight against "mixopathy". "IMA has no business to question the methodology of trial of an Ayurvedic Drug. How was it conducted? Where was it conducted? How many patients were involved is to be seen by the certifying authority and not the IMA," it added. Responding to DMA, IMA national president, J.A. Jayalal said that the DMA has expressed its opinion based on the input from the past state President of the unit while his statement expressed the professional scientific view as a collective consciousness of 3.5 lakh doctors. "IMA has expressed the ethical view of professional breach of code of ethics as it will make scores of citizens go culpable by the unscientific claim of the Patanjali corporation on the efficacy of Coronil as a cure for Covid-19. It is appropriate to explain and make it known to the citizen by the Health Minister that he is not endorsing the trade of corona as curative medicine and not party to the false claim on the certification of the WHO and DCGI on the efficacy of the drug," he stated. "Apart from the professional propriety issue, IMA has no comments on our Hon Health minister and IMA HQ stands by our view," Jayalal added. (IANS)

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday came down heavily on Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan for endorsing Patanjali's Coronil which was relaunched as treatment of Covid-19, a claim questioned by the World Health Organisation. "As per the code of the Medical Council of India, which binds the code of conduct of every modern medical doctor, no doctor can promote any drug. However, it is surprising that the health minister, who himself is a modern medicine doctor, was found promoting the drug," the association said. The IMA said that the false and fabricated projection of an unscientific medicine made in the presence of the country's health minister, later rejected by the WHO is a slap and insult to the whole nation. The association questioned the Union Health Minister's ethics as a physician and health minister of the country for making an appearance at the launch event organized by Ayurvedic drug firm Patanjali run by Yogaguru Ramdev. The association mentioned a clause under the National Medical commission (erstwhile MCI) which prohibits a physician from promoting a drug. "Under section 6:1:1, a physician shall not give to any person, whether for compensation or otherwise, any approval, recommendation, endorsement, certificate, report or statement with respect of any drug, medicine, with his name, signature, or photograph in any form or manner of advertising through any mode nor shall he boast of cases, operations, cures or remedies or permit the publication of report thereof through any mode," the IMA specified. The associations said that it will write to the NMC for seeking suo moto explanation for Harsh Vardhan's "blatant disrespect to the code of conduct of Medical council of India". In a grand launch event held on February 19, where Harsh Vardhan and Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari were also present, Patanjali had billed Coronil tablets as the "first evidence-based medicine for COVID-19". In the event, Baba Ramdev, co-founder of the ayurvedic firm had claimed that the ayurvedic medicine has received certification from the World Health Organization (WHO), which was later denied by the UN body in an official tweet. At the launch event of Coronil, Patanjali said, "Coronil has received the Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (CoPP) from the Ayush section of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation as per the WHO certification scheme." Hours later, the WHO South-East Asia tweeted: "WHO has not reviewed or certified the effectiveness of any traditional medicine for the treatment of COVID-19". Now when the WHO rejected the claims, Patanjali's CEO Acharya Balkrishna made a clarification on Twitter. He wrote: "We want to clarify to avoid confusion that our WHO GMP compliant COPP certificate to Coronil is issued by DCGI, Government of India". Balkrishna also added that "WHO does not approve or disapprove of any drugs. Instead, it works for building a better and healthier future for people all over the world". (Agency)

New Delhi- The Indian Medical Association initiated an online petition on Thursday to mobilise support against the Centre's order to train post-graduate practitioners in specified streams of ayurveda for general surgical procedures. The association has set a target of 2,500 signatures for the petition after which it will be presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom the IMA has appealed to intervene in the matter. "Mixopathy is an unscientific, illogical & most unsafe for people of the country. The healthcare of India will get retrograde push because of mixopathy. It is absurd & impractical to mix different systems of healthcare which have extremely different principles. Mixopathy will create mediocre surgeons in the country which is at the cost of healthcare risk of the common man," the petition states. "Mixopathy is end of ayurveda, an ancient Indian healthcare system. Ayurveda needs positive push & scope for its own development. Mixing of it with modern medicine will suppress this Indian system of medicine," it said. "Why people in the country undergo surgery from untrained, inexperienced & unqualified surgeons? Quality, Safety, Ethicality & Professionalism are being dumped by Mixopathy. Hon. Prime Minister should immediately intervene & stop this blot on healthcare of India called Mixopathy," the IMA appealed. Earlier this week, the apex association of private practitioners of modern medicine in the country had announced the petition to protest against the Centre's order. The IMA members had started a pan-India relay hunger strike from February 1 which concluded on Sunday. "It was our first step towards the 'Save Healthcare India Movement' which was initiated this month. We are going to intensify it further with a next stage of non-cooperation," IMA President Dr J.A. Jayalal said. While intensifying their protest further with the petition movement, the IMA had also asked its members who are surgeons and anesthesiologists not to cooperate in training the AYUSH doctors for the surgeries. The whole exercise by the IMA is to push for immediate withdrawal of the Centre's order which the association claims is impractical, unscientific and promotes "mixopathy" of different streams of medicine. Last year, the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) amended Indian Medicine Central Council (Post Graduate Ayurveda Education) Regulations, 2016, and allowed PG students of ayurveda to perform a variety of general surgery including orthopaedic, ophthalmology, ENT and dental through notifying an amendment in a gazette notification issued in November. The latest amendment allows PG ayurveda students to receive formal training for such procedures. The training modules for surgical procedures will be added to the curriculum of ayurvedic studies. This move has drawn a lot of criticism from the doctors of modern medicine which also result in a series of protests the country witnessed last December, called by the IMA. (IANS)