Thiruvananthapuram: SHRC asks medical council to act against ayurveda doctor

Thiruvananthapuram: The State Human Rights Commission has asked the Travancore Cochin Medical Council (TCMC) to take action against an ayurveda doctor who has been publishing advertisements claiming miracle remedies for various ailments. The SHRC has also directed the state drugs controller to act against him under the Drugs and Magical Remedies Act.

SHRC chairperson Justice Antony Dominic said that despite a warning issued by the TCMC, this doctor has been publishing the advertisements in newspapers and hence it should be considered as a serious violation.

“The TCMC should take appropriate action against this doctor and the action taken report should be submitted before the commission before June 15. The drugs controller should also submit the report on what kind of action can be taken against this doctor,” said the chairperson in his order.

Though the drugs control department, in a statement, told the commission that it was powerless to take any action against the doctor, the commission did not accept it.

The Section-3 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act makes it clear that “no person shall take part in the publication of any advertisement referring to any drug in terms which suggest or are calculated to lead to the use of that drug for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of any disease specified in the Schedule or any other disease which may be specified in the rules made under this Act.”

The commission observed that there are 54 kinds of diseases listed in the Schedule for which advertisements of cure can be published. But the advertisements of the doctor are regarding diseases not mentioned in this Schedule. Hence, the state drugs control department is authorised to take action against the doctor for violating the Act.

The doctor has been advertising for his ‘tullimarunnu chikilsa’ (oral drops treatment) claiming remedy for diabetes, cancer, obesity, asthma, ulcer, thyroid and various other diseases. The complaint against the doctor was filed by the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad.