Question : Containment and treatment of COVID-19 under AYUSH

(a) whether the Government has initiated action for containment and treatment of covid-19 and its variants under AYUSH;

(b) if so, the details of the facilities provided under AYUSH therefor;

(c) whether the Ministry conducted any study regarding the efficacy of AYUSH medicine for management of COVID-19 and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government has issued permission to the Ministry for using its medicines for the treatment of COVID-19 and its variants and if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government is aware that criticism is going on from the side of modern medicine regarding the use of AYUSH medicines for the management of COVID-19 patients and create confusion among them; and

(f) if so, the action taken thereon?

THE MINISTER OF AYUSH
(SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

(a) & (b) Yes, Sir. The Ministry of AYUSH has undertaken various initiatives for management and mitigation of COVID-19 pandemic, details of which are at Annexure-I.

(c) Ministry of AYUSH has also launched inter-disciplinary 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.

(d) The Government of India has issued the “National Clinical Management Protocol for Management of COVID-19” based on Ayurveda and Yoga. The Ayurveda protocol includes guidelines for management of asysmptomatic and
mild COVID-19 cases and post-COVID management. The Ministry also issued “Guidelines for Registered Ayush Practitioners for managing the COVID-19 pandemic”, “Guidelines for Ayush Practitioners for COVID-19 Patients in Home Isolation”, and “Advisory on AYUSH interventions for Prophylaxis and Management of COVID-19”. All these guidelines are uploaded on the website of Ministry of AYUSH.

Ayush-64 and Kabasura Kudineer were re-purposed in management of asymptomatic, mild and moderate COVID-19 positive patients, based on research evidences. Recently, Ayur Care Kit was released for home isolation COVID-19 positive patients.
(e) & (f) No criticism has been received from the side of modern medicinal system regarding use of AYUSH medicines for the management of COVID-19 patients.