IMA slams Baba Ramdev on modern medicine statement; calls him anti national

In an ongoing scuffle with yoga guru Baba Ramdev over his controversial statement on modern medicine, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday released a public letter stating that calling modern medicine a stupid science is a totally different criminal Act, adding that the inaction from the government would seriously hurt the doctors who are fighting the pandemic.

In an open letter to the citizens of India, IMA has listed the sequence of events over the past week and said it has demanded the prosecution of Ramdev under the Disaster Management Act.

Stating that the significance of modern medicine in the fight against pandemic IMA said, "Modern medicine is in the frontline fighting the pandemic........Every branch of modern medicine is contributing as a team."

The association alleged that Ramdev has used the Covid crisis in the country as an opportunity "to launch his tirade against the National Covid-19 Treatment." in order to create market space for his commercial products.

Comparing his speech to the anti national activities, IMA wrote, "What he failed to realise is that in doing so he has irreparably damaged the efforts of Government of India in containing the epidemic. 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."

The Association further critiqued, by saying, "His calling modern medicine a stupid science is a totally different criminal Act," adding that government inaction on this would seriously hurt the doctors who are fighting the pandemic."

The association also expressed its disgust over his supporters' attempt to launch malicious attacks on IMA and its National President.

"Nothing will deviate IMA from its resolve to nail this anti national. IMA’s all activities are within the four corners of law. IMA is a miniature India and its list of National Presidents reflect the best secular traditions of our nation. IMA is a product of the freedom struggle and has a legacy few other organisations can boast of. It is a Nation builder and is the voice of voiceless," it said.

Praising the efforts of doctors to mitigate the pandemic, it said, "The total number of Covid-19 patients in the country so far is 2.78 crores and 2.54 crores have recovered. Our case fatality rate remains 1.16 percent. Even with the limitations of official statistics it can be seen that Indian doctors, nurses and health care workers have fought tirelessly."

"1300 doctors have sacrificed their lives for the nation. Countless children and family members of doctors have been infected. To trivialise these martyrs and the warriors is a sacrilege. IMA beholds to the nation to draw its own conclusions. History will record the services of its doctors. Posterity will also name the criminals.People creating confusion during an epidemic regarding the National Treatment Protocols and National Vaccination Programme are traitors and anti nationals. They are anti people and anti humanity. They deserve no mercy," it added.