Medicine board approaches TRAI against TV programmes by quacks

CHENNAI: After Tamil television channels in the State failed to respond to the notices issued by Tamil Nadu Board of Indian Medicine (TNBIM), the board has now written to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Advertising Standards Council of India requesting them to instruct these channels not to telecast programmes, both of quacks and qualified.

The move came after TNBIM found that a few unqualified Siddha medicine practitioners were found promising miracle cures in television channels.

In its recent letter to TRAI and Advertising Standards Council of India, the board said,  “As per regulation 24 of Code of Ethics framed by Central Council of Indian Medicine, 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 a lot of quacks appear on television and promise miracle cure and thereby cheating many poor and innocent people, who go there for treatment by spending huge amount,” the letter said.
“I am therefore to request you to instruct all television channels in Tamil Nadu not to telecast any programme, both of quacks and qualified, registered doctors as per the above Code of Ethics,” Registrar, TNBIM and Tamil Nadu Siddha Medical Council, G Rajasekaran, said in the letter.

Speaking to Express, he said, “ We sent notice last year, but except one channel, the others did not respond to us. So, we wrote the letter to TRAI and Advertising Standards Council of India recently. But, we are yet to get any response from them”.

The registrar said that the notice was issued after the board found advertisement by quacks attracting people saying only they have medicines for particular diseases and people get cured when they come to them.

Many regional channels feature the self-proclaimed practitioners, promising miracle cures for diseases and conditions, including infertility, diabetes and piles.