Ayurveda practitioner fined Rs 50,000 for misleading social media claims
Thiruvananthapuram: A registered Ayurveda practitioner has come under scrutiny for allegedly promoting his “Ayurvedic Drop Therapy” on social media by claiming it can completely cure diseases such as diabetes, obesity, asthma, cancer and ulcers, etc.
A video was uploaded on the Facebook page of an Ayurveda hospital in Pathanamthitta, in which the doctor spoke about a special asthma treatment he claimed to offer through 25 centres across Kerala.
Calling this a violation of professional ethics, the Ethics Committee of the Council of Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the Ayurveda practitioner. However, he can appeal before the Board of Ethics and Registration of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM), New Delhi.
As per The Hindu media report, the issue came to light after CAPSULE Kerala, a health advocacy group linked to the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad, filed a complaint after noticing the advertisement.
The complainant alleged that in the video, the doctor claimed to cure several chronic illnesses, including diabetes, thyroid disorders, uterine problems, cancer, brain tumours, liver cirrhosis, allergies and varicose veins. He was also seen promoting a product called ‘Sidhan’s Vericoil’.
Following the complaint, the ISM Council summoned the doctor. He told the council that a blogger had recorded an interview with him and that the hospital staff uploaded it on Facebook without his knowledge. He also claimed that the video was later removed.
However, the ISM Council noted that this was not the first time the doctor had violated ethical norms. In 2018, he was censured for giving misleading advertisements. That year, the Deputy Drugs Controller (Ayurveda), Kerala, had sent a complaint to the council accusing him of advertising ‘Ayurvedic Drop Therapy’ in newspapers and claiming it as a complete cure for diseases like diabetes, obesity and asthma. The doctor had then assured the council that he would not make such claims again.
But in 2019, there were more complaints against him, and the State Human Rights Commission had also directed action against him. The ISM Council had again summoned him in person and had suspended his registration for a month.
On December 18, 2025, the Ethics Committee observed that the practitioner was repeatedly violating medical ethics. During the hearing, he said he no longer advertised in print media, but the council found that he was still promoting his services through social media. This, the committee said, was a clear violation of Regulation 27 (b) (l) of the NCISM (Ethics and Registration) Regulations, 2023.
