Lok Sabha Question No. 949 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-03
Subject: Indian Medicinal System to tackle COVID-19
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: Rajeshbhai Naranbhai Chudasama, Balak Nath

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 949 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03 RD  DECEMBER, 2021

## INDIAN MEDICINAL SYSTEM TO TACKLE COVID-19

## 949 . SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA: SHRI BALAK NATH:

Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken any steps to promote Indian Medicinal System and identify effective  medicines  under  Ayurvedic,  Unani  or  Homeopathic  system  to  tackle  the  COVID-19 pandemic;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) if not, the reasons therefor;

(d)  whether the Government has made any assessment regarding the impact of Indian Medicinal System in tackling Coronavirus;

(e) if so, the details thereof; and

(f) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF AYUSH (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

(DR. MAHENDRABHAI MUNJAPARA)

(DR. MAHENDRABHAI MUNJAPARA)

- (a) & (b): The steps were taken by the Ministry of Ayush to promote the Indian Medicinal System to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic are at Annexure I .
- (c): Does Not Arise

## (d) & (e):

- i. AYUSH Sanjivani mobile app has also been developed by  the Ministry of AYUSH and  has documented  the  impact  assessment  of  effectiveness,  acceptance  and  usage  of  AYUSH advisories  &  measures  in  the  prevention  of  COVID-19  through  Mobile  app  base  population study  in  around  1.35  crores  respondents  and  analysis  of  7.24  lakh  public  data  revealed  that 85.1%  of  the  respondents  reported  using  AYUSH  measures  for  prevention  of  COVID-19, among  which  89.8%  respondents  agreed  to  have  benefitted  from  the  practice  of  AYUSH advisory.

- ii. Ministry  of  AYUSH  has  formed  an  Inter-disciplinary  AYUSH  R&D  Task  Force  chaired  by Prof. Bhushan Patwardhan and has representation from scientists including ICMR, DBT, CSIR, AIIMS and AYUSH Institutions.  The Inter-disciplinary AYUSH Research and Development Task Force has formulated and designed clinical research protocols for prophylactic studies and add-on interventions in COVID-19 positive cases through a thorough review and consultative process of experts of high repute from different organizations across the country for studying four  different  interventions  viz.  Ashwagandha,  Yashtimadhu,  Guduchi  +  Pippali  and  a  poly herbal formulation (AYUSH-64).
- iii. Ministry of AYUSH issued Gazette notification for undertaking research on COVID-19 through Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy Systems including prophylactic measures, intervention during the quarantine, asymptomatic and symptomatic cases of COVID-19, Public Health Research, Survey, Lab-Based Research etc. to generate evidence.

Ministry of AYUSH has also launched interdisciplinary studies involving AYUSH interventions for COVID-19  based  on  Task  force  recommendations.  Under  various  research  organizations  and National Institutes under the Ministry of AYUSH, 138 research studies have been initiated in the country on AYUSH interventions as prophylactic interventions.

(f): Does not arise

## Annexure I Initiatives/Actions  taken  by  the  Ministry  of  Ayush  for  the  management  of  COVID-19 pandemic are as follows -

1. Ministry of Ayush issued an advisory on how to protect yourself from COVID and how to stay healthy. In the advisory, in addition to maintaining hygiene like hand wash, use of mask etc. simple home remedies were also suggested for people.
2. A letter to all Chief Secretaries of States / Union territories was sent from the Ministry with more specific suggestions on augmentation of General Immunity of people and about possible AYUSH intervention wherever required in coordination with Health departments of the States / UTs.
3. A letter was sent to Ministry of Health & Family welfare offering for integrating and utilizing huge AYUSH infrastructure to combat with the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. Ministry has sent a D.O. letter to Principals of all Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy (ASU&H)  colleges    (approximately  727  colleges)  for  utilization  of  available  infrastructure facilities  like  Hospital  (IPD  &  OPD),  pathology  laboratory,  ICU  and  manpower  including Medical & Paramedical Staff to combat with the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, they were requested  to  offer  their  services  to  local  health  authorities  for  utilization  of  the  available facilities  by  them  as  per  the  situation  arises.  Accordingly,  the  various  AYUSH  institutes hospital  were  utilized  by  State  Governments  and  designated  as  Quarantine  Centre,  Isolation Centre, COVID care Centre and COVID health centre.
5. A D.O.  Letter  from  Secretary  AYUSH  was  sent  to  Secretary  DHR  &  DG  ICMR  to  initiate research for AYUSH leads to deal with Corona Pandemic.
6. The  Ministry  is  using  platforms  like  video-conferencing  and  social  media  to  reach  out  to AYUSH practitioners and involve  them  in  stopping  and  discouraging  false  and  unsupported claims.
7. Ministry  of  Ayush  recommends  self-care  guidelines  for  preventive  health  measures  and boosting immunity.
8.  General Measures
9.  Ayurvedic Immunity Promoting Measures
10.  Simple Ayurvedic Procedures
11.  During dry cough/sore throat
8. Office  order  has  been  issued  to  all  State/UT  Governments,  Ministry  of  Information  & Broadcasting, Department of Electronics & Information Technology, Press Council of India to stop the publicity and advertisement of AYUSH-related claims for COVID-19 treatment in TV channels,  electronic  and  print  media.  It  is  recommended  for  them  to  take  necessary  action against  the  persons/agencies  acting  in  contravention  of  relevant  legal  provisions  and  NDMA guidelines  in  this  regard.    This  order  also  seeks  from  National,  Intermediary  and  Peripheral Pharmacovigilance Centres of AYUSH and Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) to monitor and report such misleading advertisements/claims about AYUSH.

9. The Ministry of AYUSH launched a three-month campaign on 'Ayush for Immunity', through webinar  and  also  publishing  campaign  bulletin  on  AYUSH  for  Immunity.  More  than  50 thousand people participated in the Webinar.
10. Ministry  of  AYUSH  and  MoHFW have jointly  provided  training  to  33,000  AYUSH  master trainers. Total 66045 AYUSH Personnel had obtained training at igot.in platform on continual basis. Ministry of AYUSH has coordinated with MoHFW for utilization of AYUSH manpower as COVID warrior for the management of COVID-19 with identified roles.
11. Guidelines for Registered Practitioners of respective system of AYUSH have been prepared by Director Generals of Research Councils and Directors of National Institutes with their team of experts and same is vetted by the Inter-disciplinary AYUSH Research and Development Task Force of Ministry of AYUSH. These guidelines are made available in public domain for the benefit of registered AYUSH practitioners including Homoeopathy to help in the management of COVID-19 pandemic uniformly.
12. Government of India has also released 'National Clinical Management Protocol based on Ayurveda and Yoga for management of COVID-19' prepared by National Task force which in consensus from various expert committees.
13. Ministry of Ayush has also released Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha preventive measures for selfcare  during  COVID-19  and  Guidelines  for  Ayush  Practitioners  for  COVID-19  Patients  in Home Isolation.
14. Ministry  of  Ayush  has  also  issued  advisory  for  AYUSH  practitioners  on  ethical  practices during COVID-19 pandemic.
15. Ministry of Ayush vide its D.O. letter No. Y-18020/2/2020-EP-III has requested all States/UTs to  issue  appropriate instructions to District Authorities urgently to involve District Ayurveda Officers in the management and mitigation of COVID-19 in the districts and utilize the services of Ayush doctors, Ayush healthcare providers and Ayush health care facilities extensively so that  the  shortage  of  manpower  and  infrastructure  for  the  management  of  COVID-19  can  be duly addressed.
16. For continuing with the efforts to augment human resources for the management of COVID-19 cases,  the  Ministry  of  Ayush  has  issued  advisory  to  deploy  the  trained  AYUSH  human resources available with them for clinical management of COVID-19 cases.
17. Ministry of Ayush has released Home care guidelines for children and Advisory for AYUSH Practitioners about prophylactic care in Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
18. Ministry  of  Ayush  has  released  information  for  Ayurveda  Practitioners  for  Prophylactic, Symptomatic Management of suspected and diagnosed cases of Mucormycosis.

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