The State government informed the High Court on Thursday that B. Anandaiah of Krishnapatnam cannot be allowed to treat patients afflicted by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus without a thorough verification of his claims.
During the hearing by a Division Bench comprising Justices C. Praveen Kumar and K. Manmadha Rao on a petition filed by Mr. Anandaiah against his alleged prevention by the police from treating patients, special government pleader C. Sumon said that it was true that two constables were posted outside the residence of the self-proclaimed Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) to prevent people from gathering in large numbers due to the Omicron threat.
Moreover, the local panchayat had passed a resolution against allowing people to visit Mr. Anandaiah in view of the Omicron threat and had requested the district Superintendent of Police to take necessary action.
Mr. Anandaiah was not an RMP and he does not have a formal education. As for his statement that he learnt the methods of treatment of various diseases from his mother, Mr. Sumon pointed out that in Kerala Ayurveda Paramparya Vaidya Forum V/s State of Kerala, the Supreme Court had ruled that the ‘Paramparya Vaidyas’ could not practice their system of medicine said to be passed down through generations, without first duly registering themselves under relevant laws.
When asked what prompted the government to bar Mr. Anandaiah from distributing the new formulation which is being promoted as a remedy for Omicron having earlier permitted his four COVID-19 medicines, Mr. Sumon said that the fresh claims needed to be verified whereas the herbal concoctions which were given to patients previously were examined in laboratories.
The case has been posted for further hearing on January 20.
