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The IMA, which often pontificates about the scientific temper and terms the other indigenous system of medicines as ‘quackery’, has no answers regarding the scientific rationale behind their Crompton Greaves LED bulb endorsement.

Dettol

The antiseptic soap – ‘Dettol’ also had the endorsement of the India Medical Association. In the many un-dated videos aired by Reckitt – the company that produces the antiseptic soap brand, one can see the stamp of approval by the Indian Medical Association, claiming that the particular product protects people from the infection 10 times more than other brands.

The IMA endorsement to the particular product meant that the particular product must have efficacy that is 10 times any other product. However, there is no scientific basis to the prove same.

The particular advertisement raises several questions regarding the dubiousness of the IMA, especially in times of pandemic. While IMA dismisses treatments promoted by other non-allopathic systems of medicine, it was granting approvals to the brand to use its name and spread misinformation among the public.

Kent

In 2015, the Indian Medical Association had caught up in a major scandal after it had endorsed Kent water purifiers. The IMA had given its approval for the water purifiers by stating that the association has ‘validated’ the products. In fact, IMA had signed an MoU with Kent for the ‘campaign’. Even though the resolution did not mention sponsorship, it said, “the campaign will also include the centenary conference (of the IMA) to be organized in November 2016 at New Delhi with the above subjects as the core issues”.

Several critics had pointed out the unethical practice of IMA, highlighting how the organisation had endorsed the rivals of Kent – ‘Eureka Forbes’ in another multi-crore deal.

In response to growing outcry against medical practitioners endorsing commercial products, the IMA had insisted that this was not an endorsement, but a ‘public campaign’ to educate ‘safe water prevents waterborne diseases.

Asian Paints

Last year, an advertisement by a wall paint company prominently highlighted that their product was approved by the Indian Medical Association for providing protection from “viral transmissions” and reduce the number of harmful gases such as sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxide.

The advertisement went on to assert that the product would serve as a sanitizer for the house. Soon after it was aired on national television, many public health experts criticized IMA for approving the product when the world was battling the menace of the coronavirus outbreak.

In addition to the above brands, IMA has also endorsed products of Eureka Forbes, Dabur, Unilever and Procter & Gamble in exchange for huge financial deals.

References:

OpIndia