He also called out the actor for endorsing sugary drinks and processed food for dogs on her 'Take 20' podcast.
Published Jul 08, 2024 | 5:43 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 08, 2024 | 6:02 PM
Ricky Kej slams Samantha for endorsing hydrogen-peroxide nebulisation. (Supplied)
Grammy Award-winning music composer Ricky Kej has criticised Samantha Ruth Prabhu for suggesting hydrogen-peroxide nebulisation as a treatment for viral infections.
Though Samantha later clarified her stance, Ricky Kej maintained that her advocacy of the procedure was irresponsible.
In an interview, Ricky Kej expressed concern over a celebrity endorsing a medical procedure that could potentially be life-threatening, describing it as irresponsible due to the significant influence wielded by the celebrity.
“Many individuals seek alternative medicine as they may distrust traditional medical approaches. When celebrities endorse such practices, it can sway impressionable individuals. Thus, strict regulations are crucial to prevent celebrities from endorsing medical procedures,” the music composer noted.
Earlier, Dr Abby Philips (known as The Liver Doc on social media) also slammed Samantha for spreading misinformation. He called her “health and science illiterate” for promoting alternative health treatments. The actor responded by describing the doctor as rude.
The Grammy Award winner supported the doctor’s viewpoint and also expressed shock and disappointment at Samantha’s advocacy of a potentially unsafe medical practice.
Further, Ricky Kej expressed his thoughts on the dispute between Samantha and the hepatologist-medical influencer. He also called out the actor for endorsing sugary drinks and processed food for dogs in her “Take 20” podcast.
Further, he emphasised the importance of stricter enforcement of existing regulations to prevent the dissemination of harmful medical advice.
Indian badminton player Jwala Gutta, too, intervened in the controversy with a strongly worded message directed at the actor. On X, she questioned who would assume responsibility for any fatalities resulting from Samantha.
My only question to the celeb who’s prescribing a medicine to the huge number of people who are following her…
I ustand the intention is to help….
But…just in case..just in case the prescription doesn’t help and causes a fatality…will u be taking the RESPONSIBILITY too?????…— Gutta Jwala 💙 (@Guttajwala) July 5, 2024
Meanwhile, Telugu-Tamil actor-director Rahul Ravindran encouraged The Liver Doc to engage in a debate with the doctor who prescribed the procedure to Samantha instead of targeting her directly.
Dear Doctor, it would have been really nice if you had invited the Doctor she had tagged in her same post to a debate and engaged with him. We would have all learned a lot from it. Would have helped us make up our minds about this alternate therapy. She is science illiterate like… https://t.co/UpUYnL7VlJ
— Rahul Ravindran (@23_rahulr) July 5, 2024
Samantha, who has been candid about her struggle with Myositis, recently advocated for the benefits of hydrogen-peroxide nebulisation.
The controversy began when the actor endorsed the nebulisation of hydrogen peroxide and distilled water as an alternative treatment for viral infections in a social media post.
The Liver Doc remarked on X that such claims could lead to legal consequences in a “rational and progressive society.”
Ms. Samantha Ruth Prabhu has responded to my “provocative” criticism of her endorsement of unscientific, pseudoscientific and baseless alternative medicine therapies by playing the victim card and endorsing more alternative practices.
Please note, she is a serial offender in… https://t.co/eRvsXrGlZq pic.twitter.com/iRadZgrHTE
— TheLiverDoc (@theliverdr) July 5, 2024
Later, he expressed understanding and empathy toward Samantha’s health condition and clarified that any discomfort caused by his message was “unintentional”, adding he intended to combat medical misinformation propagated by opportunistic “doctors” who exploit her vulnerability and rely on her personal experiences for their gain.
Subsequently, Samantha clarified that her post was not a “paid one” and committed to being more cautious in her future statements.
Following Samantha’s response, The Liver Doc reiterated his criticism of her on X, stating, “It should be noted that she has a history of promoting healthcare misinformation and has faced criticism for this before.”
(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)
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