Dr. Sivaranjani Quits IAP: Why India’s Largest Paediatric Body Failed to Support a Doctor Sued by Pharma Giants

In a stark reminder of how deeply corporate influence permeates the medical community, a prominent Hyderabad-based paediatrician has been forced to stand entirely alone for simply advocating for public health.

According to a detailed report by The Hindu on April 14, 2026, Dr. Sivaranjani Santosh has officially resigned from the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) – the country’s largest body representing over 47,000 paediatricians. Her resignation comes after she was slapped with legal notices by multinational pharmaceutical giants, and shockingly, found no support from her own medical fraternity.

The Root of the Controversy

For years, Dr. Sivaranjani has been highly vocal about the aggressive marketing and indiscriminate use of commercial oral rehydration products and electrolyte drinks (such as ORSL and its rebranded version ERZL) being pushed as daily hydration for children. She consistently raised red flags regarding the long-term metabolic risks of artificial sweeteners like sucralose in kids.

Instead of engaging in scientific debate, pharmaceutical companies including Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson hit her with a legal notice, accusing her of making “defamatory” statements.

The Silence of the Colleagues

“The most chilling aspect of this case is not the legal intimidation by multi-billion dollar corporations, but the deafening silence from within the fraternity. As Dr. Sivaranjani stood her ground on the scientific evidence regarding artificial sweeteners in pediatric hydration, those who should have been her loudest advocates – her colleagues and the Academy – chose to distance themselves. This institutional apathy suggests a worrying trend: if the largest pediatric body in the country abandons one of its own members to protect corporate relationships, who, then, is protecting the patients?”

Her peers and fellow paediatricians, who should have been the first to rally behind her and protect the integrity of medical advocacy, chose to look the other way. This raises a highly concerning question for the entire medical fraternity:

“If calling out decisions that harm children’s interests is termed abusive, I stand by what I said,” Dr. Sivaranjani stated, stepping down after years of fighting the battle internally.