Context

• In 2022, the Indian Medical Association filed a case against Patanjali’s founder Baba Ramdev who had made statements against allopathy, creating a negative perception among people.

Patanjali Misleading ADs Case in Supreme Court

• Statements Against Allopathy: Baba Ramdev claimed that allopathy was a “stupid and bankrupt science” and that lakhs of people were dying from taking allopathic pills.
• SC Action: The Supreme Court (SC) took a stern stance, and Baba Ramdev had to apologize in court.

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About Allopathy

• Origin of the Term: The term “allopathy” was coined by the founder of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann, in 1810.
  • He believed that allopathic treatment was crude, such as the use of bloodletting to cure diseases and illnesses
• Genesis of Confrontation: The confrontation between Ayurveda and Allopathy in India started in the 16th century.
• Introduction of Allopathy in India: Portuguese ships brought many allopathic doctors to India. When allopathic doctors successfully treated smallpox, the struggle for dominance between Ayurveda and Allopathy began. 
• Current State of Allopathy in India:
  • Number of Allopathic Doctors in India: There are over 12 lakh doctors in India, with many practicing abroad.
  • Lives Saved by Allopathy: According to a report, allopathy saves the lives of 20 lakh people in India every year

Shortcomings of Allopathy

• Lacking Solutions: Despite improvements in modern medicine, allopathy still lacks solutions for many side effects and diseases.
• High Cost: The biggest problem with allopathy is the heavy charges by pharmaceutical companies, leading to out-of-pocket expenditure in countries like India.
• Shift from Allopathy: However, several shortcomings in allopathy have led people to turn towards traditional medicine like Ayurveda and Yoga.
• Medical Negligence: According to a WHO report, 2.6 million people worldwide die due to medical mistakes.

Rise of Traditional Medicine

• Shortcomings of Allopathy: This made Ayurveda and other alternative medicines popular worldwide, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Demand For Alternative Medicines: When allopathic doctors and beds fell short, the demand for alternative medicine increased.
• Economic Growth: Today, the traditional medicine and well-being economy has reached 1.5 trillion dollars.

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Concerns with Traditional Medicine

• Lack of Knowledge: 

  • The biggest marketing claim of traditional medicine is that these medicines have no side effects, which is a myth
    • Research in India has found that alternative medicines contain significant amounts of heavy metals, leading to cancer detection in many people.
    • For example, recently, some people died in Ahmedabad after consuming Ayurvedic syrup.

• Non- Recognition of Traditional Medicines: 

  • Many Western countries, including the United States, do not recognize traditional medicine and categorize it only as food supplements.

• Absence of Research and Proof: 

  • Traditional medicine systems lack strong research and clinical proof of their efficacy.
    • Allopathic medicines go through rigorous trials before being approved.

• Lacking Standardization: 

• • Traditional medicine lacks standardization, meaning there is no uniformity in how to treat specific diseases.
    • Allopathy, however, has a standard operating procedure (SOP) for treating each disease.

• Commercialization of Traditional Medicines: 

  • While allopathy is criticized for its commercial nature, the same problem is now seen in traditional medicine systems
    • For Example: Large Ayurvedic pharmaceutical companies charge hefty amounts despite poor research.
    • Scams have been observed where cancer patients are sold expensive Ayurvedic medicines with no proven effectiveness. and prices 10 times higher.

• Misleading Advertisements: 

• • The Supreme Court has reprimanded Patanjali and the government for this issue. For Example: advertisements often make fake claims about treating life-threatening diseases like BP and diabetes, which can only be controlled, not cured
    • Making misleading claims about drugs is a criminal offense under the Drugs and Magic Remedies [Objectionable Advertisements] Act 1954 and the Drugs and Cosmetic Acts 1945.

• Failure of Government to Take Action: 

  • However, the government has not taken strong action, leading to an increase in false advertising cases.
    • According to the AYUSH Ministry, false advertising cases rose from 411 in 2018 to 25,657 in 2022.

Conclusion

The government should strongly handle the issue of misleading claims. Traditional medicine and allopathy should complement each other instead of opposing each other thus ensuring a healthy India progress.

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