The State government has barred qualified Ayush doctors from placing advertisements and prescribing drugs to cure COVID-19. This is, however, not applicable to the medicines suggested as ‘immunity boosters’ by the Union government.
In an order on October 20, the Secretary, Ayush, said that the direction was in line with the judgment of the Kerala High Court, which said on August 21 that Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy medicines can be used only as immunity boosters and that they cannot be prescribed as a cure for the infection.
The court order was based on a petition which claimed that the State government was not allowing homoeopathy and other AYUSH branches of medicine to be used in the battle against the pandemic. The protocol here allows only government or those authorised by the government to treat the infected persons, their contacts, or those under quarantine.
The Union AYUSH Ministry has suggested consumption of Chyavanprash, herbal tea / decoction (kadha) made from tulsi (basil leaves), dalchini (cinnamon), kalimirch (black pepper), shunthi (dry ginger) and munakka (raisin) apart from golden milk or half tea spoon turmeric powder in 150 ml hot milk as immunity boosters.
The State government here also allows Arsenicum Album 30C homoeopathic drug as a prophylactic or a preventive drug, which has been opposed by doctors practising modern medicine and the associations representing them.
Health Minister K.K. Shylaja incurred the wrath of the Indian Medical Association when she purportedly endorsed the above homeopathic drug as an effective option against COVID-19. The Minister later clarified that she was only referring to a study by a District Medical Officer (Homoeopathy).
Any violation of the AYUSH secretary’s order would invite action under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The Health Department and the police have been directed to monitor the activities of Ayush practitioners, the order adds.
