While acknowledging the change from “India” to “Bharat,” Gangadhar asserted that it reflected the country’s official nomenclature change and not a deliberate shift in ideology. Despite these explanations, the modifications continued to spark a row, particularly among a section of medical practitioners who called for a logo driven by “science and rationality.”
Critics, including hepatologist Cyriac Abby Philips, raised concerns about the replacement of the Ashoka State Emblem with an image of the Hindu God Dhanvantri, describing it as the embodiment of pseudoscientific Ayurveda. The controversy deepened as the Union health ministry announced the renaming of Ayushman Bharat health and wellness centers to Ayushman Arogya Mandir, accompanied by the tagline “Arogyam Parmam Dhanam.”
NMC’s Clarification
In response to the backlash, NMC officials clarified that the logo depicting the Hindu deity Dhanwantari had been in use for over a year, with only the recent change of replacing “India” with “Bharat.” Dr. Yogender Malik, a member of the Ethics and Medical Registration Board at NMC, highlighted that the decision to feature Dhanwantari in the logo was made around a year and a half ago, following extensive consultations.
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Malik clarified that the previous logo did not incorporate the India emblem and that the change involved adding color to the black-and-white image of Dhanwantari. He emphasized that the criticism was unwarranted, and the only significant alteration was replacing the word “India” with “Bharat.”
Despite these explanations, the controversy persists, with the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) Kerala chapter expressing its dissatisfaction with the recent logo change. Dr. Sulphi Noohu, IMA Kerala president, argued for a secular approach to the logo, and in a Facebook post, indicated that the national leadership of IMA would raise a strong protest against the modification, juxtaposing images of the current and previous NMC logos for reference.
References :
- NMC official website – (https://www.nmc.org.in/)
Source: Medindia
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