'Pharma Money Is Corrupting Pediatrics Academy'

A former member of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), Dr Vipin Vashishtha was ousted from the academy for highlighting the nexus between physicians and vaccine manufacturers last year. The Bijnor-based paediatrician documented the rampant corruption and system of favours in an open letter addressed to all members of the academy. In an interview with Arushi Bedi, he lays bare the nexus and talks about how he is still under fire for raising questions. Edited excerpts:

- Arushi Bedi

What made you blow the whistle on corruption in the medical fraternity?

I was convenor of the Committee of Immunisation in the IAP for six years. When I took over in 2011, there was no way to address the conflict of interest among the academy members. Some IAP members are on the advisory boards of big vaccine companies and many participate in CME (Continuing Medical Education) programmes organised by such companies and get honorarium.

According to WHO guidelines, members must declare such relations and also whether the physicians or any of their family members have received any cash or compensation in kind from vaccine-manufacturing companies.

So what happened?

The implementation of these guidelines was going quite well until 2015 but, in 2016, two members of the academy were inducted into the committee as chairman and nodal president. Taking advantage of their position in the academy, they star ted opposing the regulations on conflict of interest. The academy drafted its new immunisation schedule for the year on May 6, 2016. Certain recommendations on the schedule were unanimously passed by the committee and the regulatory board, and then uploaded on the official website as per protocol. Such recommendations also need to be published in the Indian Paediatrics Journal, which goes to all members of the academy, so they can be implemented. Yet, with no authority to do so and without giving any reasons, the president of the academy stalled the process of publication for several months and, eventually, the recommendations were not published.

Most practitioners across the country depend on these recommendations for their day-to-day vaccine administration practices. These recommendations are also monitored by the government and NGOs to evaluate policy for the entire country.