New Delhi: The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) on Tuesday took exception to the critical statement issued by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on the launch of Patanjali's Coronil tablet in the presence of Union minister Harsh Vardhan.
DMA issued a statement over the IMA statement, saying it "strongly condemns the press release by the Indian Medical Association and that the content of the press release are baseless, unauthorised, illegal and defamatory for the clean and honest image of Union Minister of Health Dr Harsh Vardhan."
'IMA shouldn't create confusion over Coronil event' The minister attended the inaugural programme in "his capacity as a union health minister and not as a modern medicine practitioner," it further claimed.
DMA Secretary, Dr Ajay Gambhir while talking to ETV Bharat said that Corona is not gone yet and being a responsible medical association, IMA has a responsibility to create awareness among the people and not spread confusion.
"Everyone should face the Coronavirus together. How effective coronil is for the treatment of corona and whether it should be allowed to treat corona or not is not the issue of the Indian Medical Association but the jurisdiction of the Drug Controller of India," he said.
Dr Gambhir added that he feels that the IMA should not accuse the Union Health Minister of any baseless thing. The job of a minister is to work with the authority conferred by the Constitution and therefore he can go anywhere in any department related to him. Their mere involvement in that program does not prove that they support every wrong and right work done by the organizer of that program.
He said that the IMA has deviated from its goal and is failing in its work.
"Their general secretary and president is sometimes from Kerala and sometimes from Maharashtra, who cannot work sitting in Delhi where they have their headquarters. It is not correct to defame a person in any responsible post using social media," Dr Gambhir rued.
"The IMA can debate whether the drug is effective or not, whether there has been a proper clinical trial or not. But for this, they will also have to provide evidence. In any case, it is not right to make any allegations against the country's health minister without proof," he said.
Dr Gambhir explained that the use and promotion of alternative medicine are not only happening in India but also in developed countries like America. Ayurveda is being promoted on which billions of dollars are being spent and the IMA should not give much importance to the matter of health minister and should keep doing its work.
Also read: 'IMA defamed Harsh Vardhan, fabricated facts for cheap publicity'
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday had expressed shock over the "blatant lie of WHO certification" for Patanjali's Coronil tablet, which the company claims is an evidence-based medicine to fight COVID-19, and demanded an explanation from Union Health Minister Vardhan in whose presence the medicine was launched.
In a statement issued on Monday, the IMA said, "Being Health Minister of the country, how justified is it to release such falsely fabricated unscientific product to people of the whole country...can you clarify the time frame, the timeline for the so-called clinical trial of this said anti-corona product?"
"The country needs an explanation from the minister. The Indian Medical Association will also write to the National Medical Commission for seeking suo moto explanation for his blatant disrespect to the code of conduct of Medical Council of India," the IMA had said.
(With PTI inputs)
