A Bengaluru-based ayurvedic medical practitioner Dr Giridhar Kaje has been warned by the ethics committee of the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) for promoting a medicine claiming it can ‘cure’ COVID-19, without any evidence. Dr Kaje, the principal investigator at Prashanthi Ayurvedic Centre in Rajajinagar, had introduced two tablets named Bhoumya and Saathmya, the clinical trial for which was going at Victoria Hospital (which comes under BMCRI). However, BMCRI has now decided to suspend the trial, which had started after the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) had given a green light.
Dr CR Jayanthi, director and dean of BMCRI said the hospital will suspend trials for the medicine as Dr Kaje went to the media without first going through the ethics committee. Dr Jayanthi told The New Indian Express that the two tablets were used only on 10 patients and that too as a supplement to regular treatment.
Speaking to the Times of India, Dr Kaje denied the allegations and said that he is yet to get an official notice in hand, although it has been reported in the media. The notice reportedly called out Dr Kaje for his “unacceptable and overstepping his responsibility”.
TOI quoted the notice from BMCRI saying, “This is unacceptable and amounts to overstepping one’s responsibility. You are aware that any disclosure of such sensitive information will have to be with all clearances from various appropriate authorities. The above act is viewed seriously since the information is very sensitive in the present circumstance.”
TOI reported that Tourism Minister CT Ravi has also advocated the use of the tablets and claimed that he got ‘cured’ after taking the medicines as prescribed by Dr Kaje.
Dr Kaje, however, claimed on his Facebook page that he himself had said that he will not prescribe the medicines before it has been approved.