Doctors criticise Patanjali's 'anti-allopathy' ad, says 'Do not stop Insulin'

Patanjali Wellness, a company run by Baba Ramdev, has caused yet another controversy after running half-page advertisements in newspapers claiming that the brand's traditional medicines can treat a variety of ailments including type 1 diabetes, thyroid issues, and asthma. This is despite previous warnings from authorities about the need to avoid making "misleading" advertisements. Several top doctors criticized the advertisement with the slogan "Misconceptions spread by Allopathy," calling it "misleading" and "blatantly false."

Patanjali advertises that through "scientific research" they have successfully managed to root out these diseases, making crores of people "free from all diseases," claiming that life has become "hell" for people who have been taking allopathic medicines for years to treat ailments like blood pressure (BP), diabetes, and thyroid, the News Minute reported.

The bold assertion that Patanjali completely cured type 1 diabetes "for the first time in the world" surprised doctors the most. The advertisement says that diabetes may be cured utilising an "integrated treatment" as well as a balanced diet, despite the fact that there is currently no recognised medically validated cure for it.

Dr V Mohan, the chairman of Dr Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Center and a recipient of the Padma Shri award, cautioned persons with type 1 diabetes not to be misled by the advertisement on Twitter. Dr Mohan shared a picture of the advertisement and 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".

In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops producing the hormone insulin, which helps sugar (glucose) to enter the body's cells and be processed into energy.

Dr Ambrish Mithal, Chairman of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Max Healthcare, was one of many medical professionals who criticised the Patanjali advertisement. "Most statements in this ad are blatantly false. But some are downright dangerous. Curing type 1 #diabetes? Leaving insulin?? Request all type 1 DM NOT to give up #INSULIN. It can be fatal," he tweeted.

This is not the first time Patanjali Wellness has run a similar ad, claiming to have a solution for a number of diseases. The company published adverts in numerous prestigious English publications in India earlier in July of this year, claiming that it could treat some of the country's most common non-communicable diseases.

According to a piece written by Vasudevan Mukunth for The Wire, the Patanjali advertisement is in violation of both the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940 and the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act of 1954. In accordance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act's Part IX, Rule 106(1), "No drug may purport or claim to prevent or cure or may convey to the intending user thereof any idea that it may prevent or cure one or more of the diseases or ailments specified in Schedule J."

Divya Pharmacy, the manufacturer of Patanjali products, was ordered by the Uttarakhand Ayurveda and Unani Licensing Authority to stop producing some of its medications in November of this year because they were being falsely promoted as treatments for diabetes, blood pressure, glaucoma, and cholesterol. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) had already asked Patanjali to remove advertisements offering treatments for a number of diseases in September.