'Use of Homeopathy medicines allowed as add on in COVID-19 treatment': Kiren Rijiju

On Friday, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said in Parliament that the Supreme Court has upheld the AYUSH Ministry's advisory and permitted use of homoeopathy medicine as add on to standard care in COVID-19 treatment. The clarification was in reply to a question asked by ET Mohammed Basheer, MP. Ministry of Ayush tweeted and informed about the same.

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Rijiju, who holds the additional charge of the ministry, in the Lok Sabha said while homoeopathy treatment is not to be given in standalone mode for COVID-19 treatment, the ministry through an advisory in March last year and the 'Guidelines for AYUSH practitioners for COVID-19' allowed AYUSH interventions, including homoeopathy, as an add on to standard care.

"The ministry has taken many steps with the help of AYUSH systems of medicine for COVID-19 related treatment, and cited its advisory on 29 January last year on "how to protect oneself from COVID and how to stay healthy", he further informed the House, reported PTI.

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Conveying specific suggestions on the enhancement of general immunity of people and about possible AYUSH interventions, Rijiju cited a letter dated March 6, 2020, by the ministry to all chief secretaries of states and Union Territories. The self-care guidelines issued by the to prevent health measures and enhancing immunity with special respiratory health on March 31, 2020 health was also mentioned by the minister.

Through various research organizations and National Institutes under the Ministry of AYUSH, the ministry has conducted about 105 interdisciplinary clinical studies, including 20 of Homoeopathy, at 136 centres in the countrY.

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Kiren Rijiju Gets Additional Charge Of AYUSH Ministry

On January 19, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has been temporarily assigned the charge of the Ministry of AYUSH, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique issued. Naik (68) was admitted to the hospital on January 12 after he met with an accident while on his way back to Goa from Karnataka. The move was necessitated as Shripad Yesso Naik, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Goa. The minister's wife and his close aide had succumbed to the injuries in the accident.

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(With PTI Inputs)