DEHRADUN: In spite of the health ministry and Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) warning against doctors taking sponsorship from infant formula companies, Abbott Nutrition, a baby food company, went ahead with a two-day National Paediatric Summit at a 5-star hotel in Dehradun on Saturday. A TOI team visited the venue and discovered that the audience was mostly healthcare professionals. The participants, mostly men, wore ID badges around their neck. After the TOI team’s arrival was publicised, many appeared to remove their IDs. The team tried to speak with a couple of participants, but the organisers directed the participants “not engage with media” and the TOI correspondent was told by the organisers “not to bother their guests (participants)”. They also banned theentry of media into the hall where the event was happening.On Friday, IAP, the largest association of paediatricians in India, had sent an email to its members warning them against taking part in any event or programme that violates the Infant Milk Substitutes (IMS) Act. The mail explained that the prohibition on sponsorship under the IMS Act includes “not only manufacturers of infant milk substitutes, infant foods and feeding bottles but also companies/persons engaged in the marketing/promotion, sales, exports, imports, supply and distribution”. The mail gave an indicative list of companies covered under the IMS which are prohibited from sponsoring health workers, and Abbott Nutrition was named in this list. The Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, a national network of organisations and individuals involved in promoting mother and child health through promotion of breastfeeding, complained to the health ministry regarding this violation and filed a police complaint with the DGP in Dehradun. Meanwhile, police officials in Dehradun acknowledged a complaint has been filed and the matter is being probed.
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