George, responding to allegations raised by Congress MLA V. P. Sajeendran, maintained that she had committed no irregularities during her tenure at the state-owned Ayurvedic medicines manufacturer. She described claims involving expensive cosmetic procedures using eggs, hibiscus buds and lemon juice as entirely false.
The former chairperson said she would approach the Assembly Speaker with a complaint against Sajeendran over statements she considered defamatory. She also indicated that she was prepared to pursue legal remedies against those responsible for circulating allegations about her conduct.
Her response followed Health Minister K. Muraleedharan’s disclosure in the Assembly that the government had received an inquiry report concerning the alleged treatments. The minister confirmed that the report had been submitted through the Health Department but acknowledged that no action had been taken on its findings.
George demanded that the government make the document public rather than allow allegations to circulate without giving her an opportunity to respond. She questioned whether investigators had sought explanations from her or consulted doctors working at the institution before reaching their conclusions.
The controversy centres on allegations that Oushadhi’s Panchakarma hospital provided cosmetic treatments that were neither authorised under its established procedures nor properly entered in hospital records. The allegations also involve the purported use of institutional funds, medical personnel and accommodation for the former chairperson’s personal benefit.
An internal inquiry reportedly identified purchases of substantial quantities of hibiscus buds, chicken eggs and lemon juice for the alleged procedures. Claims surrounding the treatments also referred to the use of a deluxe air-conditioned room at the hospital.
George disputed the entire account, questioning the suggestion that applying eggs and hibiscus flowers could produce the cosmetic benefits described by her critics. She insisted that she had never undergone the treatments attributed to her.
She also challenged inconsistencies in the chronology of the allegations. George pointed out that an initial account placed the supposed treatment in July 2002, when she said she was not Oushadhi’s chairperson. She maintained her denial after the period was subsequently described as July 2022.
Sajeendran had raised the matter during Assembly proceedings, asking whether Oushadhi had officially recognised the purported treatment method or obtained any patent for it. He also questioned whether the government intended to recover the expenditure allegedly incurred by the institution.
His questions referred to claims involving hundreds of eggs and several kilograms of hibiscus buds. The MLA sought clarification on whether such procedures had any recognised medical basis and whether public money had been spent without authorisation.
Muraleedharan told the Assembly that an inquiry had examined the matter and that its findings had reached the government. He did not announce disciplinary proceedings or any decision to recover money from the former chairperson.
The minister emphasised that Oushadhi was established to provide affordable Ayurvedic healthcare and that its activities should prioritise public health rather than cosmetic treatments. He also referred to the institution’s research activities and financial performance.
The disputed inquiry has raised questions about the authorisation of treatments at the hospital, the accounting of materials purchased and the circumstances under which institutional medical staff could provide services to senior officials.
George maintained that allegations of financial impropriety could not be accepted merely because they had been raised inside the legislature.
(The article ‘Shobhana George rebuts Oushadi beauty treatment’ appeared first on Free Press Journal.)
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