Hyderabad: Several medical bodies and associations on Tuesday came out in support of Hyderabad-based paediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, condemning the legal notice issued to her by pharma companies over her public health advocacy on ORS labelling reforms.The organisations termed the move an attempt to silence evidence-based medical opinion and called for the immediate withdrawal of the notice. They collectively warned that if the legal notice is not withdrawn promptly, the association, in coordination with other medical bodies, would consider collective action to safeguard the professional autonomy of doctors.The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) said that Dr Santosh’s concerns about certain products being positioned alongside Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS) stem from patient safety and public health considerations. The association stated that raising such concerns falls well within a doctor’s professional and ethical responsibilities, especially when the issue involves the health and safety of children.The Telangana Senior Resident Doctors Association (T-SRDA) said the notice represents an “attempt to intimidate” a medical professional advocating for rational medical practice and patient welfare. The Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) added that no doctor should be threatened for protecting patients, stressing that the attempts to suppress medical voices will only strengthen the unity and resolve of the medical community.The Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) described the legal notice as unwarranted and an apparent attempt to intimidate a doctor working in the interest of child health and public safety. The association reiterated that public health advocacy is not defamation and that scientific concerns must be addressed through data and evidence, rather than coercive legal measures.
