Inter disciplinary AYUSH R&D Task Force for development of medicine for Covid19 using Traditional Systems
Ministry of Ayush
has formed an Inter-disciplinary AYUSH R&D Task Force having representation
from the 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 for studying four different
interventions viz. Ashwagandha, Yashtimadhu, Guduchi + Pippali and a Polyherbal
formulation (AYUSH-64). Overall, 150 clinical, pre-clinical and epidemiological
studies have been undertaken by the Research Councils and National Institutes
under the Ministry of Ayush.
Initiatives/measures
taken by the Ministry of Ayush to prevent infectious diseases like COVID-19 are
as follows -
- Ministry of Ayush issued an advisory on how to
protect yourself from COVID and how to stay healthy. In the advisory, in
addition to maintaining hygiene like hand wash, use of mask etc. simple
home remedies were also suggested for people.
- A letter to all Chief Secretaries of States /
Union territories was sent from the Ministry with more specific
suggestions on augmentation of General Immunity of people and about
possible AYUSH intervention wherever required in coordination with Health
departments of the States / UTs.
- A letter was sent to the Ministry of Health
& Family Welfare (MoH&FW) offering to integrate and utilize the
huge AYUSH infrastructure to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Ministry has sent a D.O. letter to Principals
of all Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy (ASU&H) colleges to
utilize available infrastructure facilities like Hospital (IPD & OPD),
pathology laboratory, ICU and manpower including medical & Paramedical
Staff to combat with the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, they were requested
to offer their services to local health authorities for utilization of the
available facilities by them as per the situation arises. Accordingly, the
various AYUSH institutes hospital were utilized by State Governments and
designated as quarantine centre, isolation centre, Covid care centre and
Covid health centre.
- Ministry of Ayushrecommends self-care
guidelines for preventive health measures and boosting immunity.
·
General Measures
·
Ayurvedic Immunity Promoting Measures
·
Simple Ayurvedic Procedures
·
During dry cough/sore throat
- The Ministry of Ayush launched a three-month
campaign on “Ayush for Immunity”, through webinar and also published a
campaign bulletin on AYUSH for Immunity. More than 50 thousand people
participated in the Webinar.
- Ministry of AyushandMoH&FW
have jointly provided training to 33,000 AYUSH master trainers. Total
83000 AYUSH Personnel had obtained training at igot.in platform on a
continual basis. Ministry of Ayush has coordinated with MoHFW to
utilise AYUSH manpower as COVID warrior for the management of COVID-19
with identified roles.
- Ministry of Ayush issued Gazette notification
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 inter-disciplinary
studies involving AYUSH interventions for COVID-19 based on recommendations
of Taskforce. Under various research organizations and National Institutes
under the Ministry of Ayush, 140 research studies in the country, are
being conducted on AYUSH interventions.
- AYUSH Sanjivani mobile app has also been
developed by the Ministry of Ayush. It has documented the impact
assessment of effectiveness, acceptance and usage of AYUSH advisories
& measures in the prevention of COVID-19 through Mobile app
based population study in around 1.35 crores respondents. 85.1% of
the respondents reported use of AYUSH measures to prevent COVID-19, among
which 89.8% respondents agreed to have benefitted from the practice of
AYUSH advisory.
- Guidelines for Registered Practitioners of
respective system of AYUSH have been prepared by Director Generals of
Research Councils and Directors of National Institutes with their team of
experts and the same are vetted by the Interdisciplinary AYUSH Research
and Development Taskforce of the Ministry of Ayush. These guidelines are
made available in the public domain for the benefit of registered AYUSH
practitioners including Homoeopathy to help in the management of COVID 19
pandemic uniformly.
- The Government of India has also released
“National Clinical Management Protocol for management of COVID-19” based
on Ayurveda and Yoga, prepared by the National Taskforce.
- Ministry of Ayush has also released Ayurveda,
Unani and Siddha preventive measures for self-care during COVID-19 and
Guidelines for Ayush Practitioners for COVID-19 Patients in Home
Isolation.
- Ministry of Ayush has also issued an advisory
for Ayush practitioners on ethical practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Ministry of Ayush vide its D.O. letter No.
Y-18020/2/2020 –EP-III has requested all States/UTs to issue appropriate
instructions to District Authorities urgently to involve District Ayurveda
Officers in the management and mitigation of COVID-19 in the districts and
utilize the services of Ayush doctors, Ayush healthcare providers and
Ayush health care facilities extensively so that the shortage of manpower
and infrastructure for the management of COVID-19 can be duly addressed.
- To continue with the efforts to
augment human resources for the management of COVID-19 cases, the Ministry
of Ayush has issued advisory to deploy the available trained AYUSH human
resources for clinical management of COVID-19 cases.
- Ministry of Ayush has released Home care
guidelines for children and an Advisory for AYUSH Practitioners about
prophylactic care for Children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Ministry of Ayush has released information for
Ayurveda Practitioners for Prophylactic, and Symptomatic Management of
suspected and diagnosed cases of Mucormycosis.
- 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.
- Ministry of Ayush has 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.
- Ministry of Ayush has released an advisory on
AYUSH interventions for prophylaxis & management of COVID-19 and AYUSH
guidelines for COVID-19 cases for caregivers.
No such medicine is
developed that can be used as a substitute for Allopathic, Homeopathic
medicines or vaccines currently being administered against COVID-19.
This information was given by Minister of AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal
in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.