Dr Surendra Kumar

[2008 Letter] Re: Financial conflicts - shock horror by John Stone Kumar sits on two committees of the medicine licensing authority (MHRA), the Independent Review Panel for Advertising and the Independent Review Panel for Borderline Products and in the latest declarations of competing interests available ( both unsatisfactorily dating from 2004) Kumar discloses a shareholding in MMR defendents GlaxoSmithKline.

In the years 2004 and 2005 Dr Kumar, in the declaration of interests demanded by these two committees, makes known shareholdings in GSK, although the number and contemporary value of these shares is not stated. Of the ten members of IRPBP, six had share holding in pharmaceutical companies, while five held GSK shares. In 2005, the committee consisted of only five members. Three of these had shares in pharmaceutical companies, Dr Kumar logged personal and non-personal interests in four companies, including GSK. Two other members declared interests in GSK, besides Dr Kumar. [Aug 2008] An Interest in Conflict? by Martin Walker MA

I'm afraid that we have to leave Brian and the Prof. here because I am getting upset and we are drifting off the point of this essay. Hopefully the above demonstrates how the NHS and DH vaccination sites slavishly follow the prosecution line in the Wakefield story and how any attempt to reason with them or engage in a dialogue that might uncover the truth would be as the younger generation say, well pointless. We have to ask ourselves whether or not a man working closely with the DH and NHS could remain unaffected by this propaganda.

Since 2002 Dr Kumar has been the National President of the British International Doctors Association (BIDA). Prior to that he was, from 1990-1996, the General Secretary of the organisation.
BIDA was established in the United Kingdom with the objective of promoting the medical, dental and allied sciences. The main objectives of BIDA are: to protect and promote the interests of Ethnic Minority Doctors and Dentists working in the United Kingdom, to highlight the current issues and problems facing ethnic minority doctors and dentists, to grapple with all issues that effect ethnic minority doctors and dentists and to promote better representation of ethnic minority doctors and dentists on medical and national bodies.
However, what doesn't become clear on the BIDA web site unless you look closely is the fact that the organisation is funded not only with membership fees but also by pharmaceutical companies. BIDA's magazine is also subsidised by drug company advertising. This information is declared by Dr Kumar in his conflict of interest declaration for the MHRA and no doubt would have been for the GMC had they a thorough policy on conflict of interests.