New Delhi: Amidst the World Health Organisation’s (WHO), clarification that it has not reviewed or certified the effectiveness of any traditional medicine for the treatment of COVID-19, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday expressed shock over the ‘blatant lie of WHO certification’ for Patanjali’s Coronil tablet. It demanded an explanation from Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in whose presence the medicine was launched, The New Indian Express (TNIE) reported.
Yoga guru Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved had on February 19 said that the Coronil tablet had received certification from the Ayush Ministry as a medicine supporting COVID-19 treatment as per WHO’s certification scheme.
Later, Patanjali’s managing director Acharya Balkrishna made a clarification about the certification through a tweet saying, “We want to clarify to avoid confusion that our WHO GMP compliant COPP certificate to Coronil is issued by DCGI, Government of India.
In a statement issued on Monday, the IMA said, “Being Health Minister of the country, how justified is it to release such falsely fabricated unscientific product to people of the whole country can you clarify the time frame, time line for the so-called clinical trial of this said anti-corona product?” “The country needs an explanation from the minister.
IMA will also write to the National Medical Commission seeking suo moto explanation for its blatant disrespect to the code of conduct of Medical Council of India,” the IMA was quoted as saying.
“Indian Medical Association is shocked to note the blatant lie of WHO certification,” it said.
Haridwar-based Patanjali Ayurved had also released what it claimed was research work supporting Coronil’s efficacy in COVID-19 treatment.
In a statement, Patanjali had said: “Coronil has received the Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (CoPP) from the Ayush section of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation as per the WHO certification scheme.
” However, WHO South-East Asia in a tweet said: “@WHO has not reviewed or certified the effectiveness of any traditional medicine for the treatment #COVID19.