Some of the reasons it's hard to follow up on killer quacks is their trials take so long, many of them operate in places where english isn't always spoken, and the press drops stories as soon as the shine wears off. That said, one story I've finally caught up with - 3 years later - is that of Mitra Javanmardi, a "homeopath" and "naturopath" who killed a guy in Canada. From what I can tell, even after a "real doctor" testified on her behalf (I put "real doctor" in quotes because you never know what some of these guys are doing if they're willing to step up for "alternative" medicine quacks) her trial was finally concluded with a $15,000 fine, which, if you ask me, was too good for her because she's dangerous:
The consult is $225. Nearly triple what other Naturopaths charge. She is very personnable, very sweet and then sells you hundreds of dollars worth of her products. I actually got worse. Became completely constipated with all her powders and ended up with hemorrhoids on top of my original problem (slightly enlarged prostate).If more courts were willing and able to dig further into these subjects, and see them for what they are, I'm sure, they'd try to stop this nonsense and these light sentences wouldn't be handed down as often as they are. And they are, all too often. Way, waaay too often.
Mitra Javanmardi, for one, should've gone to prison.
You are so unfair! She is the best naturopath I ever met and I have consulted many before meeting her. I swear by her and would stand by her anytime. She has helped my family and I numerous times. She is right on when she gives you something and never gives you anything unless she has taken your full history. How many MDs do this? Do you like all the MDs that you have consulted in your life? Why did you go to her if you consulted an MD which you thought had found your problem? All MDs do is give you a prescription and send you on your way. Most of the time the medication prescribed only masks the problem, but they never get to the route cause. Note that it is also up to you to tell her all your symptoms if you are vague, how can she help you? Don't make a judgement of someone unless you have all the facts! How many MDS misdiagnose patients and cause death, but it is never reported? They have liability insurance and they are covered. Is this okay? Why don't you research this and get your facts!
ReplyDeleteHey Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteGet YOUR facts straight. She may be a good naturopath but she is not a doctor, a licensed MD. Her potions may be good for some but her customer died because she played doctor by injecting him with a solution. Only doctors and nurses are allowed to inject. If she so much wants to be taken for a doctor, go to school and get your medical degree. If you decide to be an imposter, then you have to live with the chance that you get caught. She got caught and a man paid his life for her impostering.
Sorry, but I don't agree the person knew what he was getting into when he went to see her. He could have refused the treatment, but he went to her because the medical system could no longer help her. So you get your facts straight. She is innocent!!!!!! The patient was 84 years old and he was willing to try anything to extend his life !!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIf he was 84 years old and willing to try anything to extend his life, why are you bitching when he went to a quack and I call her out for killing him? Don't you get it it? Quacks prey on such people. They don't tell them to make peace with their lives but rip them off before they go - how "spiritual," no?
ReplyDeletelisten, this blog follows quacks, and they're all rip off artists, con men, and/or deluded fools - and NONE of them "heal" anyone. (The vast majority of their victims are called the "worried well" for a reason,...) If you want to fool yourself by not looking at their failures, theat's on you, but that's not what this blog is about - it's about reality, not your hopes and wishes and beliefs. Be a fool if you want, but it won't fly here and it's not unfair of me to say it:
Too many have lost their lives for anyone to stay silent any longer.
Oh, and one more thing - the fact you would bring actual doctors into this shows your unreasonable bias towards quackery. Sure, doctors lose patients, but they do learn from their mistakes. Quacks just keep doing the same damned thing, over and over again, no matter who walks through the door. there's no tests of knowledge, or degrees earned, just silly fucking beliefs that kill either you or your earnings.
Sorry but, again, that shit don't cut it.
I am a second year student in Medecine and I already know you never give magnesium to people with heart problems... she is completely incompetent, a real danger to society, and a fraud for charging so much for fake treatments. I sincerely hope she rots in jail for many years for abusing the trust of people and putting their lives in danger for her own financial gains.
ReplyDeleteWhere do you see that she got away with a fine? As of what was on the news yesterday, the trial was still ongoing. The link that you put towards the 15 000 isn't a news site, it's an NDP blog where people are trying to slam a candidate they don't like because he supported her. Thomas Mulcair, by the way is a politician, not a doctor. That one is really, really not that hard to check.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/01/26/montreal-naturopath-on-trial.html
Get your facts straight before you start whining about how "quacks" get off easy. She's been fined for malpractice three times in the past, the 15 000 was probably one of those times. Nowhere on that page does it say that the fine was recent. What it does say is "Even though the NDP's star MP Thomas Mulcair testified in her behalf, the naturopath Mitra Javanmardi, accused of involuntary homicide and criminal negligence causing the death of a patient, was unable to convince Québec Superior Court to show clemency for having carried out medical procedures in defiance of a court order"
So how she was unable to get the court to show clemency turned into "she got away with only a fine" is a little beyond me.
Also, an MP is a Member of Parliament. An MD is a Medical Doctor. No wonder people trust anyone and everyone to administer medical treatments if they can't be bothered to look up what the letters of someone's title actually mean. Even without knowing that, looking at the source, looking at the general content of the discussion should tell you a little about the value of the source of information...
It's a bit difficult to follow this thread since everyone is named Anonymous. That being said, I agree with what @Anonymous said, but I disagree with what @Anonymous said. On the other hand, @Anonymous raises a good point and @Anonymous ought to cool down and think about it.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly who this woman is. A very good friend of mine and never would it be her intention to kill a patient. YES. she should have not given treatments if she was not licensed but if you were following the trial you would have seen a year ago that she actually DID get a license and was allowed to do what she did in CANADA. I do not think its fair for anyone to say she should rot in jail. or anything else. She should get her license as a neuropath evoked if anything. Stop being so harsh. these people were warned that something might happen to the elder man. You all should calm down and follow the story entirely to hear both sides before you side immediately on one.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteShe is the most caring and loving person but everybody could make a mistake in their career. And people react differently to medications. I'm a pharmacist and I know that this could happen to any professional. Once you work in the professional level, things sometimes don't go as expected. And that is very unfortunate situation but I'm sure that all her worries and concerns made her life a living hell because she is a lovely human being.
ReplyDeleteJesus, you people are liars:
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of pharmacist would endorse a person, without medical credentials, who killed someone - and call it a "mistake"?
Her "mistake" was pretending to be a doctor.
I'm sick of this bullshit:
Any more anonymous posters on this thread will be deleted, period.
Agree that what she gave him may have played a role in his death and I gather she wasn't supposed to administer what she did.
ReplyDeleteBut...let's not forget that 1) he probably would have died shortly anyway, and 2) let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater: Mitra has added years of worthwhile life to thousands of severly/terminally ill patients, helping them when they were beyond the help of conventional medicine.
I speak from experience: A family member was given less than a year to live by some of the top MDs in the field and Mitra got her 4.5 years, many of which constituted quality time...and her conventional doctors credited Mitra with that result.
Mitra was a classmate of mine throughout high school she was a caring. Kind and extremely bright student won top honors in school....I am a great believer I. HOLISTIC medicine..a naturopath here saved me from cancer I live in alberta...I struggle with this horrific charge against her...she is no quack by any means and no murderer...this very well could have happened under the care of.a licensed doctor...and none of this would happen because they are well protected a d it's almost impossible to sue...I speak from experience....she is the victim of circumstance because in Canada we do not recognize the exceptional care from.people who practice alternative medicine!!!!!
DeleteLoved your comments on MD charlatans! Look at Dr Eric Pearl : another Quack who is teaching kids healing methods!!! Frightening! By the way to one of the Anonymous above: Under Quebec health law, naturopaths are not authorized to administer drugs intravenously.
ReplyDelete