Navjot Singh Sidhu, a prominent political figure, announced on Thursday that his wife, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, has successfully defeated stage 4 metastatic cancer. The press conference, held outside their residence in Amritsar, highlighted her recovery journey, which Sidhu credited to a combination of treatments in government hospitals, an Ayurvedic diet, and simple lifestyle changes. However, his statements have sparked controversy, particularly among medical professionals, for not acknowledging the role of chemotherapy and the doctors involved in her recovery.
Sidhu shared how his wife overcame cancer despite being given only a 3% chance of survival by top oncologists. He emphasized the transformative impact of traditional methods and lifestyle adjustments on her health. While his announcement inspired many, it also drew criticism from sections of the medical fraternity and the public for the perceived omission of key contributors to her treatment journey.
One of the most vocal critics was Dr. Tushar Mehra, an orthopedic surgeon, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his disappointment. In his post, Dr. Mehra pointed out Sidhu’s failure to recognize Dr. Rupinder Batra, an oncologist from Yamunanagar, Haryana, who played a significant role in Navjot Kaur’s treatment. Dr. Mehra wrote, “Pahji, you appeared on The Kapil Sharma Show and spoke about your wife’s cancer journey, but not once did you mention Dr. Rupinder Batra. It’s disheartening to see the contributions of modern medicine and chemotherapy being overshadowed by anecdotal notions.”
Dr. Mehra also shared a photograph from one of Sidhu’s earlier tweets, which showed Navjot Kaur receiving chemotherapy while her husband and Dr. Batra were present, consoling her. The post was widely supported by netizens, many of whom expressed their disappointment over Sidhu’s statements.
Social media users joined the discussion, criticizing the lack of acknowledgment for the pivotal role of chemotherapy in her recovery. One user commented, “Without the intervention of modern medicine and real doctors, this recovery wouldn’t have been possible. It’s unfortunate how people often credit anecdotal methods while ignoring the science that saved their lives.” Another user wrote, “Thanks for pointing this out, Dr. Tushar. Such indifference to the real heroes is disheartening.”
Sidhu, however, reiterated that his wife’s adherence to an Ayurvedic diet and a disciplined lifestyle were instrumental in her recovery. He claimed these methods succeeded where conventional medicine had failed, as even top oncologists had declared her chances of survival to be slim.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Ankur Deka/MSM)