Lok Sabha Question No. 1671 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-11
Subject: Production and Distribution of AYUSH Medicines
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: M. P. Abdussamad Samadani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1671 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH FEBRUARY, 2022

## PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF AYUSH MEDICINES

## 1671. DR. M.P. ABDUSSAMAD SAMADANI:

Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of the scope of using Homeopathic, Ayurvedic and Unani (AYUSH) medicines along with the Allopathic medicines as a part of preventing and dealing with the pandemic problems;

- (b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  the  qualitative  production  and  distribution  of  those medicines  along  with  widening  and  deepening  the  scope  of  research  in  these  systems  of medicine?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF AYUSH (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

(a)and  (b)Yes,  Ministry  of  Ayush  has  formed  an  Inter-disciplinary  Ayush  R&D  Task  Force having  representation  from  Indian  Council  of  Medical  Research  (ICMR),  Department  of Biotechnology (DBT), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and AYUSH Institutions.  The Interdisciplinary 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 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).

Ministry  of  Ayush  also  issued  Gazette  notification  relating  to  guidelines  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 recommendations of Task force. Under various research organizations and National Institutes under Ministry of Ayush, 140 research studies in the country are being conducted on Ayush interventions.

Ministry  of  Ayush  has  also  released  Home  care  guidelines  for  children  and  Advisory  for Ayush Practitioners about prophylactic care in Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The self-care guidelines issued by the Ministry have been duly vetted by eminent Ayurveda experts. 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.

Guidelines for Registered Practitioners of respective system of AYUSH have been prepared by the Central Research Councils and National Institutes with their team of experts and same is vetted  by  the  Interdisciplinary  Ayush  Research  and  Development  Task  Force  of  Ministry  of Ayush.  These  guidelines  are  available  in  public  domain  for  the  benefit  of  registered  Ayush practitioners  including  Homoeopathy  to  help  in  the  management  of  COVID  19  pandemic uniformly.

Ayush  Sanjivani  mobile  app  has  also  been  developed  by  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 use of Ayush measures for prevention of COVID-19, among which 89.8% respondents agreed to have benefitted from the practice of Ayush advisory.

(c) In the wake of COVID-19 outbreak the Ministry of Ayush has issued direction to All State Government/UT's  to  give  permission  for  issue  of  license  to  the  ASU  drug  manufactures  to manufacture  and  sold  in  Generic  name  as  'Ayush  Kwath'  or  'Ayush  Kudineer'  or    'Ayush Joshanda'. The license be given in accordance with the provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945.

The  medicines  which  emerged  out  to  be  useful  and  mentioned  in  the  National Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Ayush, are being manufactured by most of the Ayurvedic drugs manufacturers.

During the second wave of this pandemic, the scientists of reputed research institutions of the country have found that AYUSH 64, a poly herbal formulation developed by the Central Council  for  Research  in  Ayurvedic  Sciences  (CCRAS),  Ministry  of  Ayush  is  useful  in  the treatment of asymptomatic, mild and moderate COVID-19 infection as an adjunct to standard care.  In  order  to  provide  maximum  benefit  of  Ayush  systems  of  medicine,  a  Nation-wide campaign  for  distribution  of  AYUSH-64  and  Kabasura  Kudineer  through  87  clinical  units  of Research  Councils  and  National  Institute  under  Ministry  of  Ayush  across  the  country.  States/ UTs licensing authorities / Drug Controllers were informed to allow the licensed manufactures for AYUSH-64 under their jurisdiction to include new indication of AYUSH-64 for repurposing as an intervention for the management of asymptomatic, mild to moderate COVID-19 in addition to  existing  indication  (s).  Further,  States/  UTs  Licensing  Authorities  have  been  requested  to expedite the process of the licensing/ approval of application for the manufacturing of AYUSH64.  CCRAS has transferred  AYUSH-64 manufacturing technology through  National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) to 40 manufacturing units for manufacturing of AYUSH-64.

In  the  wake  of  COVID  -19/Omicron surge and  considering the importance of role of Ayush  in  boosting  the  immunity  and  its  usefulness  in  the  management  of  mild  to  moderate symptoms of Covid patients, the Ministry is promoting the use of Ayuraksha Kit, Bal Raksha Kit and Ayur care Kit for the health promotion of the masses. In this regard all the State licensing authorities were informed that requirement of separate Licence for making kits with the specified components of Ayuraksha Kit, Bal Raksha Kit and Ayur care Kit for the manufacturers having valid license of the individual component of the kit is not required.

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