AYUSH is mother of modern medicine: Ayurveda practitioner serves defamation notice on IMA for equating AYUSH COVID-19 remedies to placebos

Vaidya Prashant Tiwari, a practitioner of Ayurvedic Medicine has served a legal notice upon the Indian Medical Association (IMA) for its allegedly defamatory remarks against AYUSH remedies for the management COVID-19..The notice, sent through Advocate Archana Pathak Dave, accuses the IMA of maligning the reputation of Indian medicine by its remarks questioning the effectiveness of AYUSH treatment modes. ."It is quite evident from your conduct that Your action of making uninformed defamatory allegations against AYUSH system of Medicine was an intentional and deliberate attempt to cause loss of goodwill and reputation to the AYUSH Institutions and the practitioners thereof,' the notice states..The letter has highligthed that a 'National Management Protocol' (Protocol) issued by the Union Health Ministry supported the proposition that AYUSH was effective for COVID-19 management. Pointing out the IMA's opposition to the Press Release and the public 'poser' to the Union Health Ministry questioning its AYUSH, the letter charges the IMA with maligning the effectiveness of Indian medicine, without studying the research done prior to launching the Protocol.."That the said protocol was issued after an extensive research by numerous practitioners and the researchers of the AYUSH medicine and the same can very well be seen from the fact that the using the said protocol the All India Institute of Ayurveda have treated several patients who were diagnosed positive for the Corona Virus Disease 2019," it has been stated..Taking exception to the IMA's statement supposedly equating AYUSH drugs to placebos, the letter also finds issue with the IMA supposedly accusing the Union Health Minister "of inflicting a fraud on the nation" by launching the protocol..The Notice references media interactions by the President and Secretary-General of the IMA to buttress charges that the IMA was harming public perceptions about the effectiveness of AYUSH drugs.."The said irresponsible, defamatory, false and misleading statements was made by You with the intention to disrepute the AYUSH medicines and their practitioners,"the legal notice reads..Asserting that the allegations harmed reputation of AYUSH medicine as well its practitioners, Tiwari enjoins the IMA to publish an unconditional apology to AYUSH practitioners and withdraw its press release questioning the government's Protocol. .The IMA will face legal action if these conditions are not satisfied, the notice warns..[Read Notice].Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.