New Delhi: To control the dissemination of misleading claims about the treatment of Covid-19 through ayurvedic, Unani, siddha and homeopathic drugs, the Ministry of AYUSH Wednesday instructed drug regulators to take action under provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
Under this law, any alternative medicine therapy manufacturer claiming to provide treatment for coronavirus infections through advertisements in print, TV and electronic media could face imprisonment of up to a year or be fined.
“… in view of the emerging threat in the country due to COVID-19 outbreak, it is imperative to apply and implement various measures for maintaining public safety in all aspects and to control dissemination of misleading information about AYUSH drugs and services,” said the letter issued by the ministry on 1 April.
“Accordingly… it is hereby directed to all concerned regulatory authorities in the states and union territories to stop and prevent publicity and advertisement of AYUSH-related claims for COVID-19 treatment in print, TV and electronic media and take necessary action against the persons or agencies involved in contravening the relevant legal provisions and the aforesaid guidelines of NDMA,” it also stated.
The letter, accessed by ThePrint, was issued with the approval of Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary (AYUSH).
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Ads claim coronavirus cures
On 28 March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had interacted with AYUSH practitioners and said, “AYUSH sector has a long tradition of keeping the nation healthy and its importance has increased manifold in the ongoing efforts to tackle Covid-19.”
However, he also underlined the “importance of countering and fact-checking unsubstantiated claims of AYUSH having cure for the disease, adding that AYUSH scientists and other research organisations must come together for evidence based research,” according to the Prime Minister’s website.
The AYUSH ministry has been receiving complaints from other platform about such claims of a cure.
“Struggling from increasing complaints from Advertisement Standards Council of India — ad watchdog, the ministry decided to implement this measure,” said a senior ministry official. “Social media is also flooded with fake products and false claims,” he said.
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What AYUSH recommends
The AYUSH Ministry Tuesday had come out with a number of measures recommending yoga, chyawanprash, golden milk (with turmeric) and spices to build one’s immunity against the infection.
The two-page advisory also listed other ayurvedic procedures such as nasal application of sesame oil and oil pulling therapy.
“It is a plant-based science. The simplicity of awareness about oneself and the harmony each individual can achieve by uplifting and maintaining his or her immunity is emphasised across Ayurveda’s classical scriptures,” said the ministry statement.
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