Question : Permission to Practitioners under AYUSH for Treatment of COVID-19

(a) whether the Government has permitted practitioners of different medicine streams under AYUSH for treatment of COVID-19 patients;
(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(c) whether the Government has instituted any scientific studies on the effectiveness of Homeopathic medicines for the treatment of COVID-19 and if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether it is a fact that medicines of AYUSH stream are effective in managing post-COVID health problems; and
(e) if so, the steps taken by the Government for promoting the AYUSH medicines for post-COVID health management?

THE MINISTER OF AYUSH
(SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)


(a) & (b): Ministry of AYUSH has taken various initiatives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic which include various guidelines and advisories for the practitioners of different AYUSH systems for the management of COVID-19 patients as furnished below.
i. Ministry of AYUSH has released guidelines for Registered Practitioners of respective system of AYUSH, prepared by Director Generals of Research Councils and Directors of 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 made available in public domain for the benefit of registered AYUSH practitioners to help in the management of COVID-19 pandemic uniformly.
ii. Government of India has also released “National Clinical Management Protocol based on Ayurveda and Yoga for management of COVID-19”.
iii. Ministry of AYUSH has released Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha preventive measures for selfcare during COVID-19 and Guidelines for AYUSH Practitioners for COVID-19 Patients in Home Isolation.
iv. Ministry of AYUSH has issued advisory for AYUSH practitioners on ethical practices during COVID- 19 pandemic.
v. 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.
vi. Ministry of AYUSH has released information for Ayurveda Practitioners for Prophylactic, Symptomatic Management of suspected and diagnosed cases of Mucormycosis.
vii. Ministry of AYUSH has recently released guidelines for Ayurveda Practitioners for COVID-19 patients in Home Isolation and Ayurveda & Unani based Preventive Measures for self care during COVID-19 Pandemic.

(c) Ministry of AYUSH has launched interdisciplinary studies involving AYUSH interventions for COVID-19 based on recommendations of Task force. 29 research studies by the research organizations and National Institutes under Ministry of AYUSH are being conducted on Homoeopathic medicines.
(d) & (e) Ministry of AYUSH has taken various steps for management of Post-COVID patients as furnished below.
i. Government of India has released “National Clinical Management Protocol based on Ayurveda and Yoga for management of COVID-19” which includes Post-COVID management.
ii. Ministry of AYUSH has also released AYUSH recommendations for the public on holistic health and well-being Preventive measures and care during COVID-19 & LONG COVID-19.