Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday took strong objection against Yoga guru Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved's announcement that Coronil is very effective in boosting immunity and controlling COVID-19.
In a statement, IMA said: "Indian Medical Association is shocked to note the blatant lie of WHO certification for a secret medicine launched by Yoga guru Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved in the presence of Hon'ble Health Minister Harsh Vardhan."
Ramdev, yoga guru and co-founder of Patanjali, on Friday released a scientific research paper prepared by the Patanjali Research Institute on the "first evidence-based ayurvedic medicine" against coronavirus named Coronil.
The paper was launched in the presence of Union ministers Harsh Vardhan and Nitin Gadkari at an event organised by Patanjali. "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," Patanjali said in a statement.
But, the World Health Organisation (WHO) later issued a clarification saying it has not reviewed or certified any traditional medicine to treat or prevent COVID-19. WHO's regional office for South-East Asia posted on its official Twitter handle, "@WHO has not reviewed or certified the effectiveness of any traditional medicine for the treatment #Covidl9."
The IMA further said it is proved beyond doubt to the entire country, "how false the projections are about the said anti-corona ayurvedic medicine."
No doctor can promote any drug
As per the code of act of Medical council of India, which binds the code of conduct of every modern medical doctor under section 6:1:1, no doctor can promote any drug. "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 act reads.
However, what comes as a surprise is a minister promoting the drug, the IMA further added.
IMA said false and fabricated projection of an unscientific medicine by the Health Minister to the entire country and being rejected by WHO is a slap and insult to the people of country.
"This is a blatant deceiving of the people of the country. How can a drug be effective for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation from the disease? If CORONIL is effective for prevention, why Government is spending Rs 35,000 crore for vaccination? Is the Health Minister promoting CORONIL for prevention than the vaccine as Ayurveda may not prescribe vaccination for preventing a disease?," IMA said in the release.
The IMA has sought an explanation from Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and said that it will "also write to National Medical Commission for seeking Suo moto explanation for his blatant disrespect to the code of conduct of Medical council of India."
"IMA once again reiterates, we respect pure unadulterated Ayurveda and let us not adulterate Ayurveda on the pretext of market gain to some monopoly corporate and create a disaster for humanity," it added.
