Econintersect (reported by Sanjeev Kulkarni): Does the government of India feel its protective sovereignty over the super bugs reported on in GEI News to have been violated? The Times of India has reported that they seriously objected to biological samples in the form of swabs and water sample being removed from the country. The government actually used the words “on the sly”, according to the report. The medical journal Lancet has issued a reply.According to the Deccan Chronicle:
It also dubbed as ‘unfortunate’ the government’s denial of presence of such bacteria.
“The research is entirely scientific. If you look at our publication record for the last 10 years you will find that discovering new and emerging mechanisms of resistance is what we have been doing for 10 years,” Mark Toleman, one of the co-authors of the study which claimed to have found the bacteria in the capital’s waters, told.
“You will also notice that we have done similar studies on isolates from many different countries. Furthermore a responsible response would be to empower Indian scientists to do similar studies.
“Unfortunately the Indian government is in denial and actively suppresses the truth by threatening and abusing their own scientists,” the author said.
So this is a story of a battle between surrepticious, smuggling scientists and a government in denial and guilty of suppressing the truth.
Sources: Times of India, Deccan Chronicle and GEI News
