Bottle of Lies

One of my most listened to, or rather the only podcast I listen to - Joe Rogan Experience has introduced me to so many different conversations about varying subjects, that it's a treat for inquisitive mind. Many a people walking on this planet who have stumbled upon some information/fact have had their word beamed out to audience such as me, all thanks to the podcast. Thats one boon of the information age.

Listening to one such episode with Brigham Buhler of https://ways2well.com/ I picked up on a book named ‘Bottle of Lies’ which details on deceit of pharmaceutical industry. Amazon app, is now the new google and soon enough Bottle of Lies by Katherine Eban was in my hands.

What followed was page after page of astonishment as the author details on how the pharmaceutical industry in race for money, played with health of untold victims (their consumers) - case in point Ranbaxy. Myself coming from a Sardar family, I would say that I had a soft point for the two Sardars of Ranbaxy - Malvinder & Shivinder; but just as the fact of matter is, the outlook does not depict what lies within. Having their maternal side from the most known/wealthy family of Punjab (Dera Beas) and themselves starting off as scions of Dr. Parvinder Singh, it left me wondering as to what their motivation might be to commit fraud on such a grand scale - and not just fraud, rather criminal act of providing poor to dud medicines to wanting sick patients across the globe.

Yes, there exist people with conscience and the book details on multiple of those (https://dineshthakur.com/) - but in the end, it's the money that is winning. Had heard the term Generic Drugs but never got to detail of it just like so many other things; the book cleared my fundamentals on the subject with a fine comb. Revealing as it was about prevalent practices in drugs industry, it did make me recall my parents advice - at first instance avoid doctor and try traditional remedy, and in our case more than 90% of the time it did the job. The whole system is rigged and getting into all the nitty gritty of all the details, you realise that sum total is zero.

Thankful to the author for raising my awareness and for JRE for spreading the word. I now know, that our beliefs that education system gave us have to be updated with time and cannot be held in perpetuity. That despite the call of ruling government of our country for Amrit Kaal, we are nowhere near and short term gains with the adage “DEKHI JAAEGI” rule the roost.

So take care of your family and friends and do not buy cheap version of drugs. If you can, get a handle on the said book and read cover to cover.

God Bless.