Kerala faith healing: IMA seeks explanation from doctor

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala branch of the Indian Medical Association has sought an explanation from Dr VK Sreenivasan for endorsing the miraculous healing of Christopher the new born.

It was reportedly based on Sreenivasan’s certificate that Sister Mariam Thresia’s eligibility for sainthood was upheld by Vatican. Chirstopher had acute respiratory illness at the time of birth, but, was healed by the prayer of relatives to Mariam Thresia by placing her relic on his hospital dead, Dr Sreenivasan had testified before the apostolic commission from Vatican.

The doctor who is a paediatrician with Amala Institute of Medical Sciences in Thrissur, claimed in an article written in a vernacular daily that miraculous healing had saved an infant.

In this article he recalled that Christopher, an infant with severe respiratory problems had recovered miraculously after prayer. It was claimed that Christopher recovered after his grandmother put holy relics of Sr Mariam Thresia on his bed.

The state committee has urged the IMA ethics committee to conduct an inquiry into the incident since they consider it as an ethical violation. Soon after the doctor, who is also an IMA member, returns from Vatican where he had gone to attend the canonisation ceremony of Mariam Thresia, he will be asked to give an explanation before the ethics committee. The doctor will have to make it clear whether he endorsed the unscientific healing method. He will also have to explain the exact diagnosis made while treating the infant, said IMA state secretary Dr N Sulphi.

``We are not against prayer or beliefs. But we cannot claim that healing can be occurred through prayers since it is purely unscientific. The medical science is a proven scientific method to heal the diseases. Hence the doctor has to prove if he has endorsed it,’’ said the IMA secretary.