New Delhi: Days after Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan released a document prescribing Ayurveda and Yoga protocol for COVID prevention, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday questioned the scientific basis of such protocol.
Talking to ETV Bharat, IMA president Dr Rajan Sharma said that such claim by the Health Ministry is "misleading". "On what basis the Health Minister has said that Ayurveda can prevent COVID-19 infection. Government should provide a proof before making such claim," Dr Sharma said.
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday released a document prescribing protocol for COVID prevention and treatment of asymptomatic as well as mild cases based on Ayurveda and yoga.
Referring to the protocol, Dr Rajan asked how many union ministers have so far got treated under Ayush protocols. "The Health Minister should say how many ministers have followed Ayush protocol and how many got allopathic treatment," said Dr Rajan.
The Ayush protocol released by the Health Ministry promotes the use of ashwagandha, guduchi, pippali, Ayush 64 tablets in different dose, and yoga to prevent COVID, treat mild symptoms and for post-COVID self-care.
"Till date, we have lost more than 500 doctors, physicians, health workers...why they were not treated with Ayush protocol?" asked Dr Sharma.
IMA is an apex body of 3.5 lakh doctors across India.
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"The Health Minister has arranged impressive names of institutions to support his prescription. The minister admits that these are based on empirical evidence which means that the evidence is anecdotal and based on individual subjective experience," the IMA president said.
Referring to Harsh Vardhan, Dr Sharma said, "the minister himself relegates Ayush as history rather than current by saying Ayurveda has contributed to the foundation of modern medicine."
Countering the Ayush protocol released by the Health Minister, the IMA president also said that if the Ayush protocol is so effective, "what is stopping the minister from handing over COVID care and control to Ayush Ministry."
The IMA said that Dr Harsh Vardhan should come clean over releasing such protocol to the countrymen. "If not, he (Health Minister) is inflicting a fraud on the nation and gullible patients by calling placebos as drugs."
It may be mentioned here that on earlier occasions too, the similar claim by Ayush Ministry has also generated widespread reactions even from the opposition parties.
In April, Ayush Minister Shripad Naik had claimed that Prince Charles has been cured of COVID-19 infection by Ayurvedic treatment.
The claim was later dismissed by Britain's Faculty of Homeopathy.
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