Jharkhand: IMA serves legal notice to Ramdev

RANCHI: The Indian Medical Association (IMA)’s Jharkhand chapter on Friday sent a legal notice to yoga guru Ramdev for his remarks against allopathy and “defaming” modern medical practitioners. The notice said Ramdev has created confusion over the efficacy of vaccines among patients and public in large.
In a strongly worded letter sent through its lawyer Bed Prakash, the state chapter of IMA demanded an unconditional public apology from Ramdev within 14 days, failing which all possible legal remedies will be explored against him.
Talking to TOI, state IMA secretary Dr Pradeep Kumar Singh said: “We had convened a state executive meeting four days ago in which it was unanimously decided to send a legal notice to Ramdev, who has not only discredited modern medicine but has also made a mockery of doctors who laid their lives in the line of duty.” Singh said Ramdev has been making derogatory statements against allopathy and saying that lakhs of Covid patients died due to wrong lines of treatment.
According to the legal notice, Ramdev in videos has been heard discrediting allopathic medication part of the treatment protocol issued by the Union health ministry. There are also audio clips of him questioning the efficacy of the vaccines. Singh said Ramdev’s statement has contributed to vaccine hesitancy and that is in direct conflict with the health ministry’s programme.
“The whole world’s focus is on inoculating their population as fast as possible to protect them from the virus. If someone of Ramdev’s stature makes such comments, it not only hurts the vaccination drive but it also the families of those who lost their lives serving patients,” said Dr Shambhu Prasad, President, IMA Ranchi chapter.