Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, who goes by “The Liver Doc” on social media, recently called out Samantha Ruth Prabhu for her post recommending hydrogen peroxide nebulisation to treat viral infections. Following this, the actor issued a clarification. In her post, she addressed “Liver Doc” as a “certain gentleman” and shared her opinion about his X post addressed to her. The doctor again took to X to respond to the actor’s reply, accusing her of “playing the victim card and endorsing more alternative practices.”
“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,” he wrote.
“Please note, she is a serial offender in the context of healthcare misinformation and she has been in the line of fire previously too. The reason why doctors like me have to spend (waste) time from our busy schedules to fight misinformation online is because it is peddled by large influential ‘celebrity’ accounts that have no regard for public health. Engagement and monetisation is their concern. Public health and disease prevention is mine. I (we) will be provocative, strongly criticise, be blatant, and brutal with facts because we have no time to waste, catering to emotions,” he added in the following lines.
He said that he “expected” better from someone who says she “wants to improve,” adding that the “rational reaction” to a criticism of such a post would be to delete it and apologise.
“I won’t be commenting or debunking any of Samantha’s future endorsements of pseudoscientific alternative public health-endangering posts because, ‘You can’t help people that don’t want to be helped – John Armstrong’,” he wrote as the concluding line of his share.
Take a look at the entire X post by “Liver Doc” here:
The post, since being shared, has accumulated nearly 14,000 views and close to 1,000 likes. People posted varied comments while reacting to the share.
What did X users say about “Liver Doc’s” response?
“Fantastic response, Doc. All the best,” posted an X user. Another joined and added, “Hats off to you.”
A third individual commented, “She thinks she’s a doctor, but only in real life, not in real life!” A fourth wrote, “I fail to understand how buying a nebulizer and hydrogen peroxide is more affordable than whatever pills the doctor may prescribe for the viral fever.”
Samantha Ruth Prabhu, a day earlier, shared a picture of herself using a nebuliser. “Before taking medication for a common viral, consider trying an alternative approach. One option is to nebulise with a mixture of Hydrogen peroxide and distilled water. Works like magic. Avoid unnecessary use of pills,” she wrote on Instagram. The “Liver Doc” reacted to the share by calling her a “health and science illiterate”.
What are your thoughts on this altercation on X between Samantha Ruth Prabhu and the “Liver Doc”?
