'Ramdev's act anti-national': IMA seeks action against Yoga Guru's remark on allopathy

In a key development, the Indian Medical Association on Tuesday released a letter in which it accused Baba Ramdev of launching a 'tirade' against the national COVID-19 treatment, protocol, and vaccination looking for an 'opportunity' to market his commercial products. Describing it as an 'anti-national act' of 'heinous proportion', the umbrella body of medical practitioners reiterated its demand to deem it as sedition, and prosecute him under the Disaster Management Act. 

Baba Ramdev launched a tirade against the national COVID-19 treatment: IMA

In the letter, the 'collective leadership of the Indian Medical Association' stated, "IMA has been playing an anchoring role during the pandemic," and later added, "Every single doctor has been deployed in the defence of our people. Every branch of modern medicine is contributing as a team." It added, "The war, however, is yet to be won."

Indirectly taking a dig at Ramdev, it outlined that the 'anti-national element' has surfaced during every challenging moment in history." Mr. Ramdev thought it fit to launch his tirade against the National COVID-19 treatment, protocol and National COVID-19 vaccination," the umbrella body of doctors wrote and added, "looking for an opportunity to market his commercial products."

Pointing out that he failed to realise that in doing so he has irreparably damaged the efforts of the Government of India in containing the pandemic, it said, "Creating confusion in the minds of the people against the National COVID protocol and National Vaccination Programme is an anti-national act of heinous proportions." 

Having mentioned that, it urged the government to deem it as sedition and prosecute him under Disaster Management Act. "Inaction from the Government would seriously hurt the doctors who are fighting this pandemic," it said. 

Doctors protest at hospitals in Delhi; Call it a 'Black Day'

Earlier in the day, upset over yoga guru Ramdev's remarks on allopathy, resident doctors at several hospitals in Delhi protested as part of a nationwide stir and sought an unconditional public apology or action under the Epidemic Diseases Act. Banded under the Federation of Resident Doctors Associations (FORDA), which had called for the protest on May 29 and stressed that healthcare services would not be hampered, the doctors wore black armbands, ribbons and held up placards.

"Our protest began on Tuesday morning against the remarks made by Ramdev, who is not qualified to even speak on the discipline of allopathy. It had affected the morale of doctors, who are fighting day in and day out in the (COVID-19) pandemic. We demand an unconditional public apology from him or action against him under the Epidemic Diseases Act," a senior FORDA official said. He added, "Many doctors are wearing black armbands or black ribbons to symbolise the protest."

It is pertinent to mention here that FORDA India on Tuesday even changed its Twitter profile picture to a dark poster that said 'Black Day'.

What had Baba Ramdev said about Allopathy?

IMA's demand to prosecute Baba Ramdev under the Epidemic Diseases Act was triggered by a video being circulated on social media in which Baba Ramdev is allegedly heard saying 'allopathy ek aisi stupid aur dilwaliya science hai' ('Allopathy is a stupid & ... science'). In a press release, IMA claimed that Baba Ramdev had called doctors 'murderers' in front of the Health Minister in the pretext of the 'release of his wonder drugs' and accused the yoga guru of misleading the public by making baseless accusations to sell his 'unapproved & illegal drugs'. 

Further, IMA claimed that Baba Ramdev had challenged the wisdom and integrity of the DCGI by making a remark that people had passed away after taking approved anti-COVID drugs such as Remdesivir, Fabiflu and others. The press release claimed that Baba Ramdev's quote (from the speech presumably) on Favipiravir as medicine against fever or antipyretic was 'laughable' and displayed his ín-depth scientific knowledge.' Citing the pain & agony over the loss of over 1200 modern medicine doctors, IMA dared the govt to either consider the accusations of Baba Ramdev and dissolve the modern medical facility or boldly prosecute yoga guru Baba Ramdev for his statements. 

(Credit-PTI/Twitter/@IMAIndiaOrg)