New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and several other doctor associations have recently come up in arms against Yoga guru Baba Ramdev for his insensitive comments on the allopathic treatment of COVID-19.
“Allopathy is a stupid, lame science. First, hydroxychloroquine failed. Then, Remdesivir, Ivermectin and plasma therapy failed. Other antibiotics including Fabiflu and steroids too failed,” Baba Ramdev said.
He further went on to claim that lakhs of COVID-19 patients died because of allopathic medicines rather than shortage of oxygen.
The medical community strongly condemned Baba Ramdev’s comments. The Dwarka (Delhi) unit of IMA said that Ram Kishan Yadav aka self-proclaimed Baba Ramdev belittled the sacrifice of more than 1200 Doctors who have laid their lives (since the onset of COVID-19).
In a statement, IMA Dwarka said: “His derogatory & unparliamentary words against Doctors are uncalled for & has demotivated the whole fraternity during these tough times. Medical Doctors are fighting as front lines soldiers and are leaving no stone unturned to help humankind to fight this COVID menace.”
They also added that “self proclaimed businessmen baba” is spreading hatred, misinformation regarding science and also damaging crucial doctor – patient relationships.
The association said that they will soon serve him a legal notice followed by a defamation suit.
New Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College’s Resident Doctors’ Association also came down heavily on Baba Ramdev’s “Derogatory and demeaning” comments.
In a strong-worded statement, the association said that Allopathic practice is till. date the most scientific practice of medicine as no therapy is instituted without concrete scientific evidence and rigorous clinical trials.
“Person of his stature should have avoided giving controversial statements in public as his statement has the potential to incite hatred and mistrust against Allopathy and its practitioners. Also, it will act to bring down the morale of innumerable healthcare workers on the frontline, many amongst whom have lost their lives in the line of national duty,” they said.
The association demanded that Ram Dev Baba’s statement be considered hate speech and requested the appropriate authorities to book him under relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987.
Earlier, in a video that was widely shared on social media platforms, from a Yoga session he led, Baba Ramdev had said: “God has given Oxygen for free, take it. The whole universe is filled with oxygen.”
Mocking people who are seeking oxygen cylinders for COVID-19 treatment, Ramdev then pointed towards his nose and called them “two cylinders,” his legs “two doctors” and his arms “two nurses.”