Lok Sabha Question No. 2248 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-23
Subject: Use of Ayurvedic Products during COVID-19
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: Chandra Prakash Joshi, Arjunlal Meena, Subhas Sarkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2248 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23 RD SEPTEMBER, 2020

## USE OF AYURVEDIC PRO DUCTS DURING COVID - 19

## 2248. SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI: SHRI ARJUN LAL MEENA: DR. SUBHAS SARKAR:

Will  the  Minister  of AYURVEDA,  YOGA  AND NATUROPATHY,  UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH) be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  there  has  been  an  increase  in  the  use  of the  Ayurvedic  products  during COVID - 19;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to promote AYUSH among people to boost immunity in general and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Ayurvedic products have not been properly tested due to sudden increase in demand dueto which confusion has ensued among the public;
- (d)  the  details  of  patients  benefitted  during  the COVID - 19  pandemic  through  AYUSH treatment; and
- (e) the details of the steps taken by the Government to deal with current crisis?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELF ARE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a): Indian Medicines Pharmaceuticals Corporation Limited (IMPCL) is a Govt. of Indi enterprise company and manufactures Ayurveda and Unani medicines. The Consumption of AyurvedicMedicines/Products manufactured by IMPCL has been increased during COVID -19  pandemic.  IMPCL  has  recorded  Sales  of  worth  Rs.  69.60  Cr.  up  to  August  2020  a compared to last year Rs. 26.73 Cr. out of which IMPCL have sold COVID - 19  medicines approximately  Rs .  30  Cr.  to  the  various  Central/State  institutions/Autonomous  as  well open market across the Country for the mass population of the India.
- (b): Ministry of AYUSH has issued an advisory on 29.01.2020 on how to protect onesel from COVID and how to stay healthy. Ministry has also written a letter dated 06.03.2020 all  Chief  Secretaries  of  States  /  Union  territories  with  more  specific  suggesti augmentation  of  General  Immunity  of  people  and  about  possible  AYUSH  intervention. Ministry has also issued elf -care guidelines on 31.03.2020 for preventive health measures and boosting immunity with special reference to respiratory health.

(c): The manufacture for sale of Ayurvedic drugs are required valid license from S Licensing Authorities under the provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 & Rules 1945. As per Good Manufacturing Practice norms, in house Drug Testing Laboratory is mandator Testing parameters are laid in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia. The Govt. has supported State Drug Testing Lab oratories have been supported under the Quality Control Scheme of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani & Homoeopathy drugs under National AYUSH Mission. 58 private Drug Test Laboratories have also been approved under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 194 for  testing  ASU&H drugs  in  the  Country.  In  addition  there  are  two  central  Drug  Testi Laboratories i.e. Pharmacopoeial Laboratory for Indian Medicines (PLIM) & Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia Laboratory (HPL), Ghaziabad which is appellate laboratory under the Drug and Cosmetic s Rules 1945.

(d): Guidelines  for  Registered  Practitioners  of  respective  system  of  AYUSH  have prepared by Director Generals of Research Councils and Directors of National Institu their  team  of  experts  and  same  is  vetted  by  the  Interdisciplinary  AYUSH  Researc d Development  Task  Force  of  Ministry  of  AYUSH  and  after  obtaining  approval  of  Cabi Secretariat, these vetted guidelines  are made available in public domain for the bene than 700000 registered AYUSH practitioners to help in the management of COVID 19 pandemic uniformly. However, as health comes under the purview of respective State/UT Governm based on State/UT specific guidelines only some of the States/UTs have allowed managem Covid- 19  patients  with  AYUSH  interventions.  The  data  per taining  to  treatment  of  Covid - 19 through  AYUSH  intervention  based  on  the  information  received  from  various  State/UT annexed.

- (e): The details of the steps taken by the Government to deal with current crisis follows:
- i) Ministry  of  AYUSH  has  issued an  advisory  on  29.01.2020  on  how  to  protect oneself from COVID and how to stay healthy. Ministry has also written a lett dated 06.03.2020 to all Chief Secretaries of States / Union territories with specific suggestions on augmentation of General Im munity of people and about possible AYUSH intervention. Ministry has also issued self - care  guidelines  on 31.03.2020 for preventive health measures and boosting immunity with specia reference to respiratory health.
- ii)Ministry has sent a D.O. letter dated 16. 03.2020 to Ministry of Health & Family welfare  offering  for  integrating  and  utilizing  huge  AYUSH  infrastructure combat  with  the  COVID19  pandemic  and  also  to  Principals  of  all  Ayurveda, Siddha,  Unani  and  Homoeopathy  (ASU&H)  colleges  (approximately  727 colleges) on 23.03.2020 for offering their services to local health authorit utilization of the available facilities by them as per the situation arises.
- iii) Ministry of AYUSH in collaboration with M/o Health & Family has organized Training of Trainers f or COVID - 19 Preparedness, Response and Containment.
- iv)Ministry of AYUSH issued Gazette notification dated 21.04.2020 for undertaking research  on  COVID - 19  through  Ayurveda,  Siddha,  Unani  and  Homeopathy including prophylactic measures, intervention during t he quarantine, asymptomatic  and  symptomatic  cases  of  COVID - 19.  Public  Health  Research, Survey, Lab Based Research etc. to generate evidence.
- v) Ministry of AYUSH has formed an Inter - disciplinary AYUSH R&D Task Force. Task  Force  has  formulated  and  designed cli nical  research  protocols  for prophylactic  studies  and  add - on  interventions  in  COVID - 19  positive  cases through thorough review and consultative process of experts of high repute fr different organizations across the country for studying four different int erventions viz. Ashwagandha, Yashtimadhu, Guduchi + Pippali and a poly herbal formulation (AYUSH - 64). Ayush Sanjivani mobile app developed by Ministry of AYUSH  has  been  also  launched  to  generate  data  on  acceptance  and  usage  of AYUSH  advocacies  and  measures among  the  population  and  its  impact  in prevention  of  COVID - 19  targeting  05  million  population.  These  studies  are  at various Stages.
- vi)Ministry  of  AYUSH  and  Department  of  Biotechnology  (DBT)  has  taken  an initiative  to  explore  the  areas  of  opportunities  to  co llaborate  on  research  on COVID - 19. Under joint AYUSH - DBT Network Programme, a project has been designed to evaluate anti - viral and immune - modulatory activity of AYUSH herbs and formulations.

## Information received from various State/UT Governments:

|   S. No. | Name of State /UT   | No. of Covid patients treated with AYUSH system of medicine   |
|----------|---------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Andaman & Nicobar   | 1600                                                          |
|        2 | Gujarat             | 14,456                                                        |
|        3 | Haryana             | 1,498                                                         |
|        4 | Karnataka           | 1177                                                          |
|        5 | Madhya Pradesh      | 12808                                                         |
|        6 | Maharashtra         | 10540                                                         |
|        7 | Punjab              | 199                                                           |
|        8 | Tamil Nadu          | 12,953                                                        |

## Annexure