Hyderabad pediatrician quits Indian Academy of Pediatricians over ORS row: Report
Dr Sivaranjani Santosh quits national body citing institutional betrayal, lack of support against legal threats by pharma giants for her battle against ORS labelling
Hyderabad-based pediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, who relentlessly campaigned against the misleading labelling of Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS), has resigned from the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), the nation’s largest body of child specialists. She alleged that the organisation did not support her in her battle against pharma giants over ORS labelling.
According to The Hindu, the resignation follows a series of legal notices served to Dr Santosh by major firms, including Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson. The companies accused her of making "false and defamatory" statements regarding their electrolyte products, specifically questioning the marketing of ORSL and its rebranded counterpart, ERZL.
Core of the dispute
For eight years, Dr Santosh campaigned against the misleading labelling of ORS raising concerns over the marketing of electrolyte drinks as "regular" hydration for children rather than specialised medical treatments.
Also read: How a doctor fought relentlessly for an FSSAI ban on fake ORS products
She flagged the inclusion of artificial sweeteners like sucralose, which international bodies (such as the American Academy of Pediatrics) caution against due to potential risks to gut health and metabolism.
The doctor maintained that these products are often positioned in a way that confuses parents into using them as daily beverages.
'Institutional betrayal'
Dr Santosh’s decision to step down from the 47,000-member IAP stems from what she describes as a calculated silence by the academy.
She said that she had raised concerns with the IAP over several years before taking a public stand. "If calling out decisions that harm children’s interests is termed abusive, I stand by what I said,” the report quoting her said.
Dr Santosh said that the IAP failed to condemn the legal notices or publicly back the doctor despite her repeated appeals. She alleged that the IAP’s stance is compromised by deep financial ties to pharmaceutical companies that sponsor medical conferences.
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Dr Santosh questioned a recent "position statement" on ORS issued by the academy, suggesting its timing was a selective move intended to protect corporate interests rather than public health.
The legal notices from the pharmaceutical firms deny that ORSL has been rebranded as ERZL and maintain that their products are safe and accurately represented. They claim Dr Santosh's public warnings have caused undue damage to their reputations.
Growing divide
While other medical groups have voiced their support for Dr Santosh, citing the importance of doctors being able to raise public health concerns without fear of litigation, the IAP’s perceived neutrality has sparked a debate on the influence of corporate sponsorship within medical ethics.
With her resignation, Dr Santosh hopes to highlight the urgent need for transparency in how pediatric products are marketed to Indian families.