Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Jul 17: Indian system of treatment, Ayurveda, has proved its efficacy in treating coronavirus infection through scientific experiments. However, the government's delaying tactics are effectively blocking it from progressing to the next phase.
Well-known Ayurveda practitioner, Dr Giridhar Kaje, has developed this medicine. The government has not only delayed permission to use his medicine for corona treatment but also has been procrastinating the permission to supply Ayurveda kits provided by AYUSH department. The people have come to believe that a pharma lobby backed by an eye on business worth thousands of crores of rupees has been working silently behind this attitude of the government.
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The team of Dr Giridhar Kaje, as per the guidelines of the central government, had put the Ayurveda preparations of Dr Kaje in Victoria Hospital here and had succeeded in its clinical trials. The matter was discussed in the COVID task force meeting and Dr N Sachidananda, the vice-chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, was asked to place a report on the issue of taking the use of this medicine to the next phase. Dr Sachidananda, who obtained all the details from Dr Kaje, discussed the matter with experts in different fields and submitted his report within four days. Dr Sachidananda said that the doctor had registered in CRTI and conducted research after getting a nod from the ethical committee. He said that in his report, he had mentioned that there will be more clarity on the effectiveness of this preparation if another clinical trial with an enhanced sample size is conducted.
It has been three weeks since Dr Giridhar Kaje requested the government to permit him to provide medicine to about 50,000 primary and secondary contacts in Karnataka, none of whom are infected. But they face the prospects of suffering from the symptoms of this disease in the coming days. Dr Kaje had offered to provide medicine free of cost. Kaje argues that if the underlying coronavirus infection if any among these people is cured, the pressure on the government will come down substantially. Kaje says that the chief minister and health minister have extended support to him. He says that early decision will enable his efforts to get a boost.
Health department sources say that pharma lobby has been creating unnecessary confusions about the efficacy of Dr Kaje's Ayurveda preparations and trying to see that these medicines do not get recognition. They are raising certain questions on Ayurveda preparations that are not even raised for allopathic medicines. Most of the ministers including the chief minister favour Ayurveda. Several of them are already getting medicines from Dr Kaje. But several agencies are creating problems and the bobby behind business worth thousands of crores of rupees and corruption there have been stalemating the Ayurveda medicine's entry into this field, it is said.
Doctors in the government's AYUSH department have been working hard to heal coronavirus infection. Ayush kits which contain Ayurveda concoction, Unani solution, and Chyavanprash, have been distributed to 10 lac people. Ayurveda medicines used in over 200 corona affected people with and without symptoms at Davanagere and the medicines succeeded in their purpose. There is also a plan to prescribe the medicine as a precautionary measure to people with comorbidities like kidney, heart and other health issues and those aged above 60 all over the state. The current stock has been exhausted and the proposal was submitted 15 days ago for fresh funds but so far the government has not given permission for fresh AYUSH kits, a health department official said.
Health minister B Sriramulu said that steps will be taken on the basis of Dr Sachidananda's report and the government wants to give good medicines to help the people.