Doctors rally behind Hyderabad paediatrician facing legal notice, call it intimidation

Multiple associations of doctors have come out in support of Hyderabad-based paediatrician Dr. Sivaranjani Santosh, condemning the legal notice issued to her by Johnson & Johnson Health Equity and Kenvue over her public health advocacy. The organisations have termed the move an attempt to silence evidence-based medical opinion and have called for the immediate withdrawal of the notice.

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) stated that Dr. Santosh’s concerns regarding products being positioned alongside Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS) were rooted in patient safety and public health. “Raising such concerns falls within a doctor’s professional and ethical responsibilities, particularly when it relates to child health,” they said.

Collective action will be considered if notice not withdrawn

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. They warned that if the legal notice is not withdrawn promptly, the association, in coordination with other medical bodies, would consider collective action to safeguard the professional autonomy of doctors.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 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.