Ayurveda Doctors Can’t Prescribe Medicine For COVID: AYUSH Department Order In Kerala Displeases Practitioners

The order by AYUSH Secretary Sharmila Mary Joseph issued based on a High Court directive clearly states that those violating the rules will face strict action.

The Kerala Government Ayurveda Medical Officer’s Federation (KGAMOF) has informally taken up the matter with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, reported TNIE.

What do AYUSH medical practitioners say?

• Scientific evaluation on the effectiveness of Ayurvedic intervention in individuals under quarantine against COVID-19, by the Department of Indian System of Medicine (DISM) in Kerala, has shown promising results.
• The report on ‘Ayurvedic Prophylactic Strategy intended for individuals under quarantine against Covid-19 was submitted to the government on September 22 but no further action has been taken so far.
• Preliminary study done under the Amritham programme had found that only 347 among one lakh recipients of preventive medicines including those in quarantine, primary and secondary contact lists and persons returning from abroad and other states tested positive.
• Most of the infected had only mild conditions and recovered in four or five days. Later, a detailed study was conducted on around 577 COVID patients and based on this, a report was submitted to the government. However, the government is yet to release the study findings in the public domain.

KGAMOF secretary Durga Prasad told TNIE, “The authorities are denying the benefits of ayurveda to scores of people who believe in this system of medicine. We have given around three representations to the chief minister in the recent past but political will is being torpedoed purposely by bureaucrats.”