Doc didn’t say coconut water cures cancer
Badwe said that messaging apps have become a tool to disseminate incorrect information. “It is uncontrolled and such messages have a big impact on the way people perceive medical treatment,” he said.
The director of Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), Parel, has not endorsed hot coconut water as a cure for cancer, the hospital stated through a notice issued on Friday.
The clarification came after a message, saying that the director had made such a claim, started circulating on social media.
“We would like to clarify to all concerned that this is a fake message and neither Dr [Rajendra] Badwe [the director] nor the TMH subscribe to this view. There is no data to suggest that hot coconut water can provide cure to any type of cancer. Public are requested not to be misinformed by false and harmful messages sent on social media,” read the notice.
Badwe said that messaging apps have become a tool to disseminate incorrect information. “It is uncontrolled and such messages have a big impact on the way people perceive medical treatment,” he said.
This is not the first time that misinformation related to health and medicine has been spread. Earlier this year, unverified reports about complications and deaths related to the Measles-Rubella vaccination circulated on social media.
Dr Chandrashekar Chiplunkar, assistant health official, Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), had at the time told HT, “There are messages which say syringes are being reused, but that is not possible as we use auto-disabled syringes.”