Ramadoss makes a volte-face, apologizes for anti-Bihari remarks

In a sudden volte-face, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has distanced himself from his earlier remarks criticizing the medicos from Bihar. The minister who has a penchant for putting his foot in the mouth, had embroiled himself in a fresh controversy a couple of days ago when he had unwittingly said that a doctor from Bihar was the sole cause for Britain de-recognizing MBBS degrees.

On Friday, Ramadoss tried to make amends and placate the people of Bihar saying that being a physician; he would never do a thing to denigrate medicos from other states.

On December 14 Ramadoss had made a remark at a meeting in New Delhi saying that England took the steps to derecognize Indian medical degrees in the '70s owing to an inept Bihari doctor.

However, Ramadoss today clarified that some senior doctors had informed him that Britain had unilaterally annulled credit to the medical degrees issued in India on the grounds that a doctor from Bihar practicing in the UK wasn’t aware where a person’s spleen was.

Playing down the remark that resulted in a nation-wide stir, the minister said he was a trained medical doctor and therefore could never denigrate or defame any doctor from any state. Ramadoss now says that medicine is a noble profession and he respected everyone coming from any state – be it Bihar or UP.

Going a step ahead, the minister said that speaking at any national or international meet he made it a point to emphasize that the Indian doctors were the best in the world. Finally, he says that he has tremendous respect for the doctors from Bihar as they have done wonderful jobs in India and abroad.

Ramadoss’ remarks had enraged the members of the medicos’ fraternity so much that the doctors under the banner of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had insisted an unconditional apology from the minister's for wounding the sentiments of all Biharis living in India and abroad.

The IMA had also decided to urge the MCI not to invite the minister at any of their functions and boycott all his programs. Senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra had already boycotted a crucial meeting of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Thursday to protest against the minister's ‘irresponsible and biased’ statement.

1. 05-01-2008 12:24

That statement by the minister was biased against the professionals from Bihar. has he seen the condition that many a doctors in Bihar have been working in? They work in the most dreadful floods and droughts.

It is their kind, that they did not raise a much furore over the statement. He should rather be sent to PHC Parihar in the district of Sitamarhi in Northern-most Bihar in the rain season; just for a month. And be asked his experience later. I guess, he will become dumb.

He will no longer be able to tell a word against the health workers from Bihar. Sitting in the air-conditioned room and doing "bhashanbaazi" can not do any good.

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