Liver Doctor vs Samantha: How accountable are social media influencers?

A social media duel has broken out between actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu and hepatologist Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known as ‘The Liver Doc’.

It was set off when the doctor came charging at the actor, calling her “health and science illiterate”, for suggesting hydrogen peroxide nebulisation for patients suffering from viral infections.

He pointed out that she is a social media influencer with a huge following, and that she owes it to her 35.3 million followers to be careful about what she recommends. Her advice could, in fact, be fatal for some patients, he rued.

What did Samantha do?

In a recent Instagram post, Samantha, who suffers from Myositis, an autoimmune disease, recommended the use of nebuliser with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and distilled water to treat a viral infection as an alternative form of treatment.

A nebuliser is a device which turns liquid medication into a spray, to allow it to be inhaled. Medical regulators and associations such as the British Lung Foundation warn that a nebuliser should be used at home only if recommended by a healthcare professional, with appropriate training and using only the medication prescribed with it.

Hydrogen peroxide is a substance which can be used as a disinfectant. It is used domestically and cosmetically as a bleaching agent, and also has medical uses in particular formulations. For instance, it is sometimes used in small amounts in certain brands of mouthwash or skin disinfectant.

What did the doctor say?

Dr Philips was quick to call out the actor in a post on X on Thursday (July 4). Calling Samantha “health and science illiterate,” Dr Philips said she should be “put behind bars” for the advice which could endanger public health.

“Influential Indian actress Ms. Samantha Ruth who is unfortunately a health and science illiterate advising millions of her followers to inhale hydrogen-peroxide to prevent and treat respiratory viral infections,” Dr Philips said in the post.

The hepatologist also asserted that it has been scientifically proven that hydrogen peroxide inhalation could be dangerous for health. In his post, he shared a message by the Scientific Society, The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, warning people “to not nebulize and breathe in hydrogen peroxide because it is dangerous for health.”

The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has issued a similar warning, saying the inhalation of hydrogen peroxide may not be effective in treating respiratory disease and that it, in fact, has “significant concerns” that this practice is not safe.

Actor issues clarification

Samantha responded to the hepatologist’s criticism by issuing a long clarification on her Instagram handle.

She started by explaining why she sought out alternative remedies and claimed they are much more effective and cheaper than conventional medication.

“Over the last couple of years, I’ve had to take many different types of medicines. I’ve tried everything I was strongly advised to take. As advised by highly qualified professionals and after doing as much self-research as is possible for a lay person like me,” she said in the post.

In her post, she shared that despite being expensive, conventional treatments were not making her feel better, and that she has found relief in alternative therapies and treatments.

‘Not naïve enough’

The actor in her post said that she is “not naïve enough to go about strongly advocating a treatment” and that had suggested it “with good intention” because what she has faced as a patient herself.

She also said that the treatment was recommended to her by a doctor who has served in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for 25 years.

“Especially that treatments can be financially draining and many may not be able to afford them. End of the day, we all depend on educated doctors to guide us. This treatment was suggested to me by a highly qualified doctor who is an MD, who has served DRDO for 25 years. He, after all his education in conventional medicine, chose to advocate an alternate therapy,” she said.

Doctor could have been polite: Samantha

The actor without naming Dr Philips also took a swipe at him for his “provocative” post against her, and said he could have been polite in his criticism.

“A certain gentleman has attacked my post and my intentions with rather strong words. Said gentleman is a Doctor too. I have no doubt that he knows more than I do. And I am quite sure his intentions were noble. It would have been kind and compassionate of him had he not been so provocative with his words. Especially the bit where he suggests I should be thrown into prison,” she said in the post.

Samantha said she neither made the ‘nebuliser’ post for money nor to endorse anyone and was merely suggesting an alternative and cheaper form of treatment after trying it herself. She, however, vowed to be more careful in future.

“And as far as sharing information about the treatments that have helped my health, I shall be more careful as my intentions are only to help others. Not to harm anyone,” she said.

‘Serial offender’: Liver Doctor in rejoinder

Samantha’s statement elicited yet another long post from Dr Philips on X, in which he accused the actor of playing the victim card after endorsing “unscientific, pseudoscientific and baseless alternative medicine therapies.”

Stating that the actor is a “serial offender” and has peddled misinformation on healthcare previously, he said it is the duty of doctors like him to fight misinformation, especially when it is disseminated by influential celebrity accounts like Samantha’s.

“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 monetization 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 said in the post

He said he was expecting the actor to delete posts which pose a danger to public health, and apologise to fans.

“I expected better from someone who claims that she wants to ‘improve.’ This is far from improvement. A rational and logical response would be to delete the public health endangering posts and apologize to her millions of followers and vouch to never quote or cite fraudulent practices or practitioners,” he said.

‘Won’t debunk Samantha’s posts anymore’

The doctor further said he has no hope to see scientific temperament improve in the country as people tend to play the victim card when they are questioned.

He also advised celebrity influencers to “start unlearning and re-learn, develop critical thinking skills, disregard logical fallacies and stand up for medical science” if they really want to leave a positive impact on their followers.

Quoting John Armstrong’s famous quote that says, “you can’t help people that don’t want to be helped,” the doctor says he would follow the same wisdom in not commenting or debunking Samantha’s posts in future.