Doctors take on herbal medicine 'scandal'
Daily Star staff
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
BEIRUT: The head of the Beirut Order of Physicians (BOP), Mario Aoun, said Monday that he had received a memo from resigned Health Minister Mohammad Khalifeh saying that the ministry would not bear responsibility for problems stemming from herbal medicine. "Knowing that," Aoun said, "the BOP has taken upon itself the task of protecting the Lebanese, reminding the public once more that we have nothing against herbal medicine, but rather against television shows promoting herbal medicine in the most chaotic manner possible." Aoun was speaking during a meeting at BOP headquarters in Hazmieh to address the possibility of having herbal medicine shows removed from all local television channels. The meeting was attended by attorneys for Al-Manar, New TV and Future TV, all of which have at least one herbal medicine show as part of their regular programming. Aoun described programs promoting herbal medicines as a "true scandal," adding that " it is no longer acceptable to have impostors perform long-distance diagnosis and prescribe medications haphazardly."
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Speaking on behalf of the television stations at the meeting, Future TV attorney Mohammad Haidar said the stations had not yet reached a "final decision to have such programs stopped."
"Media outlets are not to be accused or even questioned about such an issue since we are promoting regular products licensed by concerned governmental authorities," he said.
Haidar said that it was not the aim of television stations "to cause harm to public health."
"The issue is still under discussion and we hope to reach a fair settlement soon," he said. - The Daily Star
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