Height of idiocy!

By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana

It is no surprise that ordinary people behave irresponsibly when some members of the noble profession behave idiotically! I do not blame anyone who has come to this inevitable conclusion after the faux-pas in Gampola Hospital. The idiotic behaviour of some doctors have not only brought our profession into disrepute but also inconvenienced the public; perhaps, endangered people’s lives by causing the closure of some services and, thereby, causing patients to travel far for treatment during a raging epidemic.

Whilst the many members of the medical profession fighting to save lives and controlling the epidemic are too busy to communicate with media personnel, others who are partly ‘released’ for trade union activities have ample time and are in the news all the time. At a time when the public expects them to cooperate with the government to tackle a grave public health emergency, they are busy picking holes in everything, never coming up with solutions. Further, spokespersons from different unions give differing opinions. It would be an interesting conjecture how the premier trade union of doctors would have behaved if its President had been appointed the secretary to the ministry of health!

This sort of idiotic behaviour is not the preserve of Sri Lanka. Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister lost public sympathy when he defended his chief of staff who had violated quarantine regulations at the very beginning of the epidemic. Although he did not sack his top aide immediately, he had to do so six months later.

Now comes even greater a tale of idiocy from the UK. Sky News is the only commercial TV channel, other than the public-funded BBC, to have 24-hour coverage of news in the UK and their presenters have been very tough with politicians during news conferences, especially regarding the breaches of quarantine regulations by the PM’s aide. One of Sky News’ star journalists, who presents the breakfast show, decided to celebrate her sixtieth birthday with nine of her senior colleagues breaking not one but many Covid-19 regulations. Their holier-than-thou attitude has turned out to be blatant hypocrisy!

By the way, the only thing UK does better than Sri Lanka during the epidemic is having regular press briefings with appointed representatives whereas in Sri Lanka our politicians who talk at cross-purposes, confusing the public. This was highlighted in the news item “Laboratory scientists ask govt. not to promote untested COVID-19 cures” (The Island, 10 December). President of the College of Medical Laboratory Science, Ravi Kumudesh has said “Twenty-two ‘cures’ for COVID-19 have been introduced by practitioners of alternative medicine in Sri Lanka and they were promoted by both the media and the Ministry of Health. These practitioners of alternative medicine pop up periodically and they have been given unnecessary publicity. The Health Ministry has encouraged these people and this has confused the public.” Well said!

Claims of Covid-19 cures seem to have created mayhem. Just looking at the jostling crowds struggling to receive free doses of the ‘magic potion’ makes one wonder whether what is on the way is a crop than a cure! However, that there is support for purported cures, even from the so-called intelligentsia came as a bit of shock to me but in a way.

One of my close friends, who is a former ambassador, has set up two WhatsApp groups for professionals with an interest in diplomacy and foreign relations. Whilst being very thankful that he included me in both groups, maybe because of our friendship, I have not been an active participant knowing my limitations in these fields. However, by reading the posts I have been able to educate myself by the discussions among some very prominent persons in these fields. Unfortunately, reading the comments of some others has been interesting in a totally different way; at best these have been entertaining but at worst, they have been very depressing; that some educated people show total lack of commonsense.

I am amazed by the attempts of some of these ‘intellectuals’ to propagate anti-vaccine propaganda going to the extent of stating that COVID-19 was engineered and released for the sake of vaccine business. There is no doubt that Big Pharma is out for big profits but that should not take us away from the fact that they are a necessary evil. Maybe, we should find avenues to subdue them. Most of us are waiting for the Oxford vaccine to be approved for use not only because it is a vaccine made out of modified virus than a tiny part of it but also because it is a non-profit venture with Astra Zeneca.

One of the members of the Whatapp group has forwarded a video produced by an extreme religious organisation that opposes abortion questioning the methods of viral modification for this vaccine! I am amazed at the idiocy of these individuals who fail to understand that small pox was eradicated in 1980 thanks to vaccination. Since the WHO started an initiative in 1988 to rid the world of polio, again by vaccination, the number of cases has fallen by 99%. Of the three strains of polio, type 2 was declared eradicated in 1999 and type 3 in 2012. Wild polio type 1 is still in circulation in only two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Until circulation is stopped in them, we cannot consider polio to be completely eradicated but it is within grasp. It is a pity that these pundits fail to realise the continuing damage done to many young lives by parents refusing the MMR jab based on the flawed and dishonest research by a British doctor. Measles has flared up in the West with resultant brain damage in some children.

Talking of smallpox, I am reminded of an interesting episode that occurred in late 1978 or early 1979. At the invitation of the Indian Medical Association, I attended its anniversary session held in Cochin as the representative of the Sri Lanka Medical Association. I was fortunate enough to sit on the podium just behind Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who was the chief Guest for the valedictory session. In one of the most undiplomatic speeches, I have listened to, Morarji attacked modern medicine and claimed that he had his own system of medicine which was greeted with peals of laughter from the audience,

which knew he was referring to his habit of drinking own urine! Not to be outdone, the secretary of the congress who was a Bacteriologist, decided to reciprocate by pointing out that modern medicine had just eradicated smallpox. Irritated, Morarji turned to the President and said “Is this a vote of thanks?” When the President tried to intervene Morarji said, “Let him go on”. Good old Morarji! He was in his centenary year when he died; perhaps, his system of medicine helped him!

Comments by some ‘intellectuals’ in the WhatsApp groups on the much-hyped Ayurvedic cure for Covid-19 are laughable and doubts are raised about their intellectual capacity. The one that takes the cake stated:

“Yes, if it came packed in a bottle with a western name the Western doctors who are a part of the support structure of the pharmaceutical conspiracy would have approved it as a medicine.

A medicine that has no after effects and is a pure cure is not worthy of being approved as a medicine in the country which has a tradition of over fifteen thousand years old medicinal system! Disgusting”

As I mentioned, I simply am a passive reader of these groups but had I been an active contributor, my response would have been:

“We are not western doctors; we are Sri Lankan doctors who practise science-based medicine. We are not a part of any pharmaceutical conspiracy but prescribe drugs that have been extensively tested and approved by regulatory authorities.

Without testing how can you claim that it is a pure cure and that it has no after effects?

Have you read my articles in The Island; “Peddling ‘snake oil’” (17 October), “Gone to pot” (17 November) and “Can ‘alternative medicine’ do harm?” (7 December) you would have understood how drugs are tested and approve, and also that decoctions too can do harm.

Where is the proof that we have an ‘over fifteen thousand years old medicinal system’? What we boast of as our system is a borrowed system. Remember, Ayurveda is from India!”

It is interesting that India, the home of Ayurveda, has not developed an Ayurvedic cure but one of ours has done so, inspired by a Hindu goddess! Maybe, Hindu gods and goddesses are more interested in Sri Lanka’s welfare!

Any cure is most welcome for this dreaded epidemic and if by any rare chance this concoction is proved effective, on top of saving lives it would be able to salvage our economy too. However, giving support and publicity before safety and efficacy is proved is the height of idiocy!