Nagpur: A study conducted by a Pune NGO that had many controversial conclusions about behaviour of doctors and pharma companies had created waves in December 2019. Indian Medical Association (IMA) had termed it defamatory.
Now, IMA Maharashtra president Dr Avinash Bhondwe, who hails from Pune, has claimed that the Maharashtra branch of IMA investigated this survey along with Maharashtra medical council (MMC) and found that the survey was not only unscientific but also fake.
“As the survey came from Maharashtra, the IMA state body decided to investigate it. We approached NGO ‘Sathi’ and asked them details about their research methodology and claims. Earlier, they were reluctant to share information. Later, they admitted they didn’t have enough details to support their claims,” said Dr Bhondwe while speaking to TOI on his maiden visit to Nagpur after becoming president of Maharashtra IMA.
“In a meeting with IMA officials, NGO representatives issued unconditional apology to us. Later, we demanded it in written form and they also issued a ‘clarification’ and not apology. We have that letter in our possession,” Dr Bhondwe claimed.
IMA Maharashtra’s internal publication, which is going to be released in March, will have all details of this case for the reference of doctors across the country, he added.
Dr Bhondwe was in the city to attend a state-level workshop on PC & PNDT Act at IMA Hall. He said that people level serious allegations on doctors these days. “It has become easy to level allegations and get away these days. We have strategically decided to deal with such allegations seriously now,” he said, adding that at least two political leaders have issued public apologies after IMA approached them regarding and proved that their allegations were false.
Dr Arun Gadre from NGO Sathi accepted that he has given a clarification to IMA. “I issued clarification to IMA that since study was qualitative, no names were asked and not any name was given. Trends were asked for and report contains categories of trend in the field,” he said.
Now, IMA Maharashtra president Dr Avinash Bhondwe, who hails from Pune, has claimed that the Maharashtra branch of IMA investigated this survey along with Maharashtra medical council (MMC) and found that the survey was not only unscientific but also fake.
“As the survey came from Maharashtra, the IMA state body decided to investigate it. We approached NGO ‘Sathi’ and asked them details about their research methodology and claims. Earlier, they were reluctant to share information. Later, they admitted they didn’t have enough details to support their claims,” said Dr Bhondwe while speaking to TOI on his maiden visit to Nagpur after becoming president of Maharashtra IMA.
“In a meeting with IMA officials, NGO representatives issued unconditional apology to us. Later, we demanded it in written form and they also issued a ‘clarification’ and not apology. We have that letter in our possession,” Dr Bhondwe claimed.
IMA Maharashtra’s internal publication, which is going to be released in March, will have all details of this case for the reference of doctors across the country, he added.
Dr Bhondwe was in the city to attend a state-level workshop on PC & PNDT Act at IMA Hall. He said that people level serious allegations on doctors these days. “It has become easy to level allegations and get away these days. We have strategically decided to deal with such allegations seriously now,” he said, adding that at least two political leaders have issued public apologies after IMA approached them regarding and proved that their allegations were false.
Dr Arun Gadre from NGO Sathi accepted that he has given a clarification to IMA. “I issued clarification to IMA that since study was qualitative, no names were asked and not any name was given. Trends were asked for and report contains categories of trend in the field,” he said.
