Call Patanjali as “Anti-Allopathy”
Mumbai : Patanjali, co-owned by Ramdev Baba, recently issued a spate of advertisements called ‘Misconceptions spread by allopathy’, claiming chronic diseases like hypertension, blood sugar, thyroid, asthma, and incurable diseases like autoimmune disorders and heart blockages can be cured by yoga, ayurveda and naturopathy. Despite being warned by authorities in the past about putting out ‘misleading’ advertisements, Patanjali Wellness run by Baba Ramdev has triggered yet another controversy after it ran half-page advertisements in newspapers claiming that the brand’s traditional medicines can cure several ailments such as type 1 diabetes, thyroid, and asthma. The advertisement titled – ‘Misconceptions spread by Allopathy’ – was rubbished by several senior doctors, terming it to be “misleading” and “blatantly false”.
Taking to Twitter, Dr V Mohan, a Padma Shri awardee and Chairman of Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre, urged people with type 1 diabetes to not be misled by the advertisement. Sharing the photo of the advertisement, Dr Mohan said, “It is risky to your life if you stop Insulin. As of now there is no cure for type 1 diabetes. Insulin is life-saving. Please continue it”.
This is not the first time that Patanjali Wellness is publishing such an advertisement, claiming to have a cure for various ailments. Earlier in July this year, the company ran advertisements in several leading English dailies in India, claiming that it could treat some of India’s major non-communicable diseases. Meanwhile, in November this year, the Uttarakhand Ayurveda and Unani Licensing Authority directed Divya Pharmacy, the maker of Patanjali products to stop the production of some of its medicines which are falsely being promoted for the treatment of diabetes, blood pressure, glaucoma, and cholesterol. Prior to this in September, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) had also asked Patanjali to take down advertisements promising cures for various ailments.