Allopathy row: Harsh Vardhan calls yoga guru Ramdev's remark unfortunate

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Sunday asked yoga guru Ramdev to rescind his remark against allopathy medicine, calling it extremely unfortunate.
 
Ramdev had said allopathy caused deaths of “lakhs of Covid patients”, prompting the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to ask the government to take strict action against the yoga guru for misleading people and allegedly describing modern medicine as stupid science. 
 
Vardhan said Ramdev's remark had not just disrespected the feelings of corona warriors but also deeply hurt the people of the country.
 

“Doctors and health workers are like gods for people of the country for whom they are risking their lives in this pandemic,” Vardhan wrote in a letter to Ramdev.

 
“We should not forget that the fight against the Covid pandemic can only be won with joint effort. Our doctors, nurses and health workers have risked their lives in saving people day and night.”
 
He told Ramdev, “You are well aware that doctors in India and from around the world have laid their lives in the battle against the pandemic.” The country had managed to keep the fatality rate below 1.13 per cent and recovery rate above 88 per cent because of allopathy medicine, he said. And ailments such as TB, Polio, Ebola and SARS could be cured because of allopathy. “The vaccine which is proving to be a great weapon in the fight against Covid is also due to allopathy,” Vardhan said.

 
Haridwar-based Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust had issued a statement clarifying that Ramdev was reading a WhatsApp message he received and that he had no ill-will against modern science and its practitioners.
 
Vardhan, however, said the clarification issued by him was insufficient in bringing respite to the hurt feelings. “I hope you will think about this seriously and withdraw your objectionable and unfortunate statement completely.”
 
He told the yoga guru that he was a public figure and that his statements carried weight. “You should assess time and situation before making any remarks. Calling the present treatment a show, not only raises questions on allopathy but also its doctors and their abilities and intentions.”

 
The IMA has sought a written apology from Ramdev.
 
The association had earlier expressed shock at the “blatant lie of WHO certification” by Patanjali’s Coronil and questioned the health minister for promoting the drug.