Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Sunday has written a letter to yoga guru Baba Ramdev asking him to take back his statements on allopathic medicines and modern medicine and called it “unfortunate and inappropriate”.
“You should be aware that smallpox, polio, Ebola, SARS and TB have been diagnosed and treated by allopathy medicine. In this fight against COVID, vaccination is proved to be an important weapon which is also given by allopathy. In your defence, you said the statement is not against modern science or good doctors. I do not consider the clarification is enough. I hope you will ponder over the topic with seriousness and take back the offensive and unfortunate statement keeping in mind the feeling of corona warriors across the world,” wrote the Union Minister in his letter to Baba Ramdev in Hindi.
Dr Harsh Vardhan called Baba Ramdev’s statement unfortunate and inappropriate which can break the morale of the doctors and can weaken the fight against coronavirus.
“As you are a public figure and every statement given by you has high value. I believe you should give the statement keeping in mind time and situation. At this time calling presently practiced treatment as ‘Tamasha’ you have not only questioned the allopathy but also the ability and motive of the doctors practicing it, which is inappropriate. Your statement can break the morale of the doctors and can weaken our fight against coronavirus,” he said.
Dr Harshvardhan also pointed out that the doctors and healthcare workers are fighting against COVID-19 day and night and are ‘godlike’ for the public and Ramdev’s statement not only disrespected corona warriors but has also hurt the sentiments of the citizens.
Counting on the contribution of Allopathic treatment in the world, the Union Health Minister who himself is an allopathic physician said, “By calling Allopathic medicine ‘Tamasha’, ‘Waste’ and ‘Bankrupt’ is unfortunate. Many are going back home after receiving the treatment. In the country, if the death rate is 1.13 per cent and recovery rate is 88 per cent then it is because of the contribution of Allopathic doctors and treatment.”
Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Saturday sent a legal notice to yoga guru Ramdev over his alleged statements against allopathy and “defaming” scientific medicine.
Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust has denied allegations by the IMA that Ramdev has misled people by making “unlearned” statements against allopathy and defamed scientific medicine.
“IMA brings to the notice of our Health Minister, a video circulating in social media portraying, the celebrated Yoga Guruji saying that ‘modern allopathy ek aisi stupid aur diwaliya science hai’ (modern allopathy is a stupid and failed science),” the IMA said in its statement.
According to a Haridwar-based Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust statement, Yog Guru Ramdev was reading out a WhatsApp forwarded message in the video that has gone viral on social media.