In many countries around the world, including Turkey, it is forbidden to advertise doctors and pharmaceutical products for a fee via social networks. Bloggers cannot even share their real and satisfactory results based on medical advice. However, in Azerbaijan, individuals with a large number of followers can easily advertise doctors and medicines.
Modern.az reports that sociologist Elchin Bayramli stated that this activity is already prohibited in many countries.
"Because some bloggers build businesses on people's health, collaborating with fraudulent doctors and leading to mass deception. As a result, people's health suffers severe damage, and sometimes lives are destroyed. It is precisely because of these risks that the activities of bloggers in the healthcare sector have been restricted in those countries".
He stated that within this framework, the advertising of doctors, the provision of medical advice, and the promotion of medicines and preparations have been prohibited for bloggers:
"The majority of individuals engaged in such activities on social networks lack medical knowledge and responsibility, and they endanger people's lives for meager gains. This creates serious problems for society. Particularly in the healthcare sector, there is a need for these activities to be officially prohibited in Azerbaijan as well. The advertising of doctors and medicines by bloggers must be stopped, and severe sanctions should be applied against such instances. Profiting from people's health is unacceptable".
The sociologist stated that, at the same time, the collaboration of some fraudulent doctors with bloggers further exacerbates the situation.
"Therefore, a concrete decision must be made without delay, and blogger activity in the healthcare sector must be completely prohibited. Only appearances by doctors and specialists in professional media should be allowed. Currently, there is a de facto lack of control in this area. Although experts have repeatedly brought this problem to the agenda, people are still being directed towards fake medicines and incorrect treatments. For this reason, legal mechanisms must be urgently strengthened, and prohibitions must be specifically implemented", he noted. (Source: demokrat.az)
