By NewsChannel 5 and
O&AN Staff Reports
Used with permission
A judge in Nashville has ordered a man who claims to have cures for terminal diseases remove those claims from his Web site.
The Tennessee attorney general's office asked for the temporary injunction issued Wednesday, saying Oludare Samuel Olomoshua is practicing medicine without a license and making unsubstantiated claims about his products.
It was last week when Tennessee Attorney General and Reporter Robert E. Cooper, Jr. filed suit to stop Olomoshua from promoting his “services” on the Internet from Nashville, TN.
“Being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease can make a person more vulnerable to “cure-all” claims,” General Cooper said. “We want to make sure consumers know the medical expertise of the people with whom they are entrusting their lives, especially when they are seeking medical treatment for life-threatening diseases.
Cooper, acting on behalf of the Department of Health and the Division of Consumer Affairs sued Oludare Samuel Olomoshua, who claimed to be a doctor. The suit also names Wisdomite Spiripathology Healing and Music Mission, Inc. which is registered in Tennessee as a not-for-profit corporation. Defendant Olomoshua acts as president of the not-for-profit.
The Attorney General’s office sought and was granted a temporary injunction to prevent Olomoshua and Wisdomite from practicing medicine without a license, representing that Olomoshua is a medical doctor and a cancer and HIV/AIDS specialist, making unsubstantiated claims about his products ability to cure individuals of illnesses, and offering an illusory money back guarantee. The suit also alleges that Olomoshua asked his patients to forego conventional medical treatment including chemotherapy and surgery.
Olomoshua lives in Nashville and is president of the nonprofit Wisdomite Spiripathology Healing and Music Mission, which is based in Nigeria. His group believes in spiritual measures to heal rather than practices such as chemotherapy.
Under the order, Olomoshua is allowed to keep his Web site running but must remove all claims of being able to cure terminal illnesses. The Web site included the claim, "100 percent perfect healing of cancer and HIV/AIDS is available now," and urged readers to order a book.
Olomoshua didn't attend Wednesday's hearing before Circuit Court Judge Barbara Haynes.
Consumers who have sought treatment from Olomoshua or other purveyors of unsubstantiated cures to diseases should contact the Division of Consumer Affairs at 1-800-342-8385 (toll-free inside Tennessee) or (615) 741-4737. Consumers can report similar problems to the Department of Health by calling the Office of Investigations at 1-800-852-2187.
“Because of the claims of the defendant, particularly those that shun the therapeutic ptions available through licensed practitioners in our State, the Department of Health is gravely concerned about the health and safety of Tennesseans whose health care decisions might be influenced by this individual,” said Health Commissioner Kenneth S. Robinson, M.D. “We appreciate the Attorney General for supporting our mission to protect the health of our citizens.”
“The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners is responsible for the licensure and disciplinary actions of all medical doctors in the State of Tennessee and is charged with the protection of the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Tennessee,” said Board Chair David Cunningham, M.D. “We support and concur with the actions of the Attorney's General Office and conside practicing without a license a very serious offense.”
Mary Clement, director of the Division of Consumer Affairs, said, “When a consumer is experiencing the pain of a life threatening illness, often times he or she is more likely to be influenced by these types of therapies. Aside from the physical trauma, a consumer should never have to experience the emotional pain after discovering that the therapy they chose is indeed not credible.”