CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Board of Indian Medicine has sent notices to all the Tamil TV channels in the State asking them to stop telecast of programmes featuring Siddha medicine. The board has said that even qualified Siddha medicine practitioners are barred from self-promotion as per the code of ethics. The move comes after the board found that a few unqualified Siddha medicine practitioners were found promising miracle cure on television channels.
Speaking to Express, G Rajasekaran, Registrar, Tamil Nadu Board of Indian Medicine and TN Siddha Medical Council, said, “The notice was issued after we found an advertisement by quacks attracting people saying only they have medicines for particular diseases and people get cured when they come to them. As per the Central Council of Indian Medicine guidelines, even qualified persons should not advertise their practice. They can only create awareness. Only one channel responded to the notice saying, they would stop the programme from next week.”
The notice issued by the board read, “As per regulation of 24 Code of Ethics framed by Central Council of Medicine, New Delhi, solicitation of patients directly or indirectly either personally or by advertisement in the newspapers, by placards or by distribution of circular cards or hand bills by a practitioner of Indian medicine, is unethical.”
“A practitioner shall not make use of or aid or permit others to make use of him or his name or photograph as subject of any form or manner of advertising or publicity. It is observed that quacks, without proper medical education and without proper registration, in any council, appear on television and promise miracle cures and thereby cheat...”