APROPOS a news item, `Doctors claim cure without medicine` (May 4). According to this news, a Pakistani MBBS doctor claimed that by a new method of treatment, described as `bioresonance therapy`, hundreds of chronic diseases can be cured `without medicines`. If this story is true, then this doctor deserves a noble prize.

I would like to know from the scientist in which country he carried out research and in which scientific journal his pioneering research was published. Just presenting one or two patients who benefited from this treatment is not a proof to be taken seriously.

In Pakistan people make all kinds of claims in electronic and print media. There are advertisements of such novel treatments claiming hundred per cent `cure` for AIDS, cancer, hepatitis C and diabetes.

I know of several patients who paid a heavy price for stopping their standard treatment and falling into the traps of such people.

This story reminded me of the news not that long ago when an engineer claimed that there was no need for petrol and he can run cars by water only. Famous anchorpersons of the electronic media invited this engineerto anhour-long talk-show at prime time; this claim later on turned out to be a fraud only.

Dr Javaid A. Khan Professor of Medicine The Aga Khan University Karachi