Lok Sabha Question No. 841 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-05
Subject: AYUSH Medicines for Corona Treatment
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: Sunil Kumar Singh, Balubhau (Alias Suresh Narayan) Dhanorkar

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

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 841 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH February, 2021

## AYUSH MEDICINES FOR CORONA TREATMENT

## 841. SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH: SHRI BALUBHAU alias SURESH NARAYAN DHANORKAR:

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  cognizance of  effectiveness  of  Homeopathy  and Ayurvedic med icines in the treatment of Corona, if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  any  scheme  is  operational  to  promote Homeopathy  and  Ayurveda,  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  there  is  any  plan  by  the  Government  to appoint  Ayurveda  and  Homeopathy doctors in the districts of the country, State/UT - wis  and district - wise; and
- (d) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS AND ADDITIONAL CHAR GE OF MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

- (a): Yes. Ministry of AYUSH has taken various steps to support in the management of C -19 by taking cognizance of strength of AYUSH system including Ayurveda and Homoeopathy; details of which are given at Annexure - I .
- (b): Ministry of AYUSH is implementing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National AYUSH Mission (NAM) for development and promotion of AYUSH s ystems including Homoeopathy and Ayurveda through States/UTs. The National AYUSH Mission inter - alia makes the provisions for i)  Co - location  of  AYUSH  facilities  including  Homoeopathy  and  Ayurveda  at  Primary  Hea Centers (PHCs), Community Health Centers (C HCs) and Districts Hospitals (DHs); (ii) Supply essential  Medicines/  drugs  including  Homoeopathy  and  Ayurveda  medicines  to  AYUS Hospitals and Dispensaries; (iii) Up gradation of exclusive State Government AYUSH Ho and  Dispensaries  ;(iv)    Setting up  of  upto  50  bedded  integrated  AYUSH  Hospital including Homoeopathy and Ayurveda; (v)  Upgradation of State Government Under - Graduate and Post -Graduate Educational Institutions including Homoeopathy and Ayurveda; (v)  Setting up State Government A YUSH Educational Institutions including Homoeopathy and Ayurveda in th States where it is not available in Government Sector; (vi) Strengthening Government/State  Government  Co - operatives/Public  Sector  Undertakings  Ayurveda,  Siddha Unani  and  Homoeopathy  (ASU&H)  Pharmacies;  (vii)    Strengthening  of  State  Drug  Test Laboratories for ASU&H Drugs and (viii) Support for cultivation of Medicinal Plant i processing and post - harvest management.

Also,  under  Central  Sector  Scheme  for  promotion  of International  Cooperation,  (IC Scheme), the Ministry of AYUSH undertakes various measures to promote & propagate AYUS systems  of  medicine  including  Ayurveda  and  Homoeopathy  across  the  globe.    Ministr AYUSH deputes AYUSH experts to foreign countries to participate in  international meetings conferences,  training  programmes,  seminars  and  on  special  assignment  of  the  Governm India for promotion and propagation of AYUSH Systems. Financial assistance is also p for  presentation  of  AYUSH  related scientific  research  papers  in  international  confere workshops, seminar etc.

Incentives are provided to AYUSH drug manufacturers/ entrepreneurs/ AYUS institutions,  AYUSH  drug  and  Hospitals  etc.  for  (a)  participating  in  International conferences/ workshops/ seminars/ road shows/ trade fairs, etc. for generating awarene the participating public about the AYUSH systems of medicine and; (b) registration of products with regulatory authorities of the foreign countries USFDA/ EMEA/UK - MHRA/ NHPD (Canada)/  TGA  etc.    There  is  a  provision  of  financial  support  up  to  Rs.  1.00  C strengthening of Health Centre(s)/ Institution(s) in the foreign host country.

Ministry  of  AYUSH  through  Indian  Council  for  Cultural  Relations  (ICC R)  offers  104 scholarships  every  year  to  the  eligible  foreign  nationals  from  99  countries  fo undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG) and Ph. D courses in premier Institutes in Indi now, Ministry of AYUSH has signed 25 Country to Country Mo Us for Cooperation in field of Traditional  Medicine  and  Homoeopathy.  23  MoUs  for  undertaking  Collaborative  Resear Academic collaboration and 13 MoUs for setting up AYUSH Academic Chairs have been sign with  foreign  Universities.    33  AYUSH  Information Cell  have  been  set  up  in  30  countries  to disseminate authentic information about AYUSH systems of Medicine.

(c)  & (d): Public Health being a State subject, the appointment of Ayurveda Homoeopathy doctors in the States/UTs and districts of the country comes under the purview of the respective State/UT Government. However, Ministry of AYUSH is implementing Centra Sponsored Scheme of National AYUSH Mission (NAM) through States/UTs. Under NAM, there is a provision of   deployment of AYUSH Doctors inclu ding Ay rveda and Homoeopathy under the activities of setting up of upto 50 bedded Integrated AYUSH Hospital and Upgradation of exclusive State Government AYUSH Hospitals .

## Steps undertaken by Ministry of AYUSH to support in the management of Covid - 19

- I. Ministry of AYUSH issued an advisory on 29.01.2020 on how to protect oneself COVID and how to stay healthy. Ministry had written  letter to all Chief Secretaries of States  /  Union  territories  with  more  specific  suggestions  on  augmentation  of Immunity  of  people  and  about  possible  AYUSH  intervention.  Ministry  has  also  i self - care guidelines on 31.03.2020 for preventive health me asures and boosting immunity with special reference to respiratory health.
- II. Guidelines  for  Registered  Practitioners  of  respective  system  of  AYUSH  (inc Ayurveda  and  Homoeopathy)  have  been  prepared  by  Research  Councils  and  Nationa Institutes with their team of experts and same is vetted by the Interdisciplinary AY Research and Development Task Force of Ministry of AYUSH. These vetted guidelin are  made  available  in  public  domain  for  the  benefit  of  more  than  700000  reg AYUSH practitioners to h elp in the management of COVID 19 pandemic uniformly.
- III. The Ministry of AYUSH has released 'National Clinical Management Protocol based on Ayurveda  and  Yoga  for  management  of  COVID -19'  prepared  by  National  Task  force which in consensus from expert committees from All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Delhi, Institute of Post Graduate Training and Research in Ayurved (IPGTRA), Jam and  National  Institute  of  Ayurveda  (NIA),  Jaipur  ,  Central  Council  for  Rese Ayurveda (CCRAS), Central Council for Re search in Yoga and Naturopathy (CCRYN) and other national research organizations as per the Report & Recommendations Interdisciplinary Committee  wherein guidelines for post - covid care has been mentioned. This protocol is based on:
1. Knowledge from Ayurveda   literature and clinical experience
2. Empirical evidences and Biological plausibility
3. Emerging trends of ongoing clinical studies

Salient features of this protocol includes management of prophylactic, Asymptomatic, Moderate cases of C OVID - 19 along with of post -management.

- IV. Considering the importance of immunity boosting measures in the wake of COVID - 19 outbreak, Ministry of AYUSH has promoted use of ready - made  Ayush  formulation i.e. 'Ayush Kwath'(Ayurveda) or 'Ayush Kudineer'(Siddha) or 'Ayush Joshanda'(Unani) in the interest of health promotion to the masses.
- V. Ministry of AYUSH has issued an order on 28.07.2020 regarding directions to st licensing  Authorities  to  forward  license  application  of  Ayurveda,  Siddha,  Un Homoeopathic medicines underwent clinical trial/ research studies for COVID - 19.
- VI. AYUSH  Sanjivani  mobile  app  developed  by  Ministry  of  AYUSH  has  documented  the impact  assessment  of  effectiveness,  acceptance  and  usage  of  AYUSH  advisorie measures in the prevention of C OVID - 19  through Mobile app base population study in around  1.5  crores  respondents.  85.1%  of  the  respondents  reported  use  of  A measures for prevention of COVID - 19, among which 89.8% respondents agreed to have benefitted from the practice of AYUSH adviso ry. 79.1% of the users responded that the AYUSH measures gave an overall feeling of good health. 63.4% reported improvemen parameters of wellbeing like sleep, appetite, bowel habits, stamina and mental we
- VII. Ministry of AYUSH advised to States/UTs to assign the AYUSH facilities under their administrative control for supporting the treatment of the Covid - 19 patients.