The Union Health and Science Minister Harsh Vardhan, who launched the Ayush-based clinical management protocol (ayurveda yoga and unani siddha naturopathy and homeopathy) to treat patients with coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has not been well received. by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). On Thursday, the association deliberately asked whether the advocates of this claim and their ministry were prepared to volunteer for an independent prospective double-blind control study on the prevention and treatment of Covid-19.
On Tuesday, the Minister of Health and Science published the National Protocol for Clinical Management for the prevention and treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 cases based on alternative therapies.
Also read: Delhi May Witness 15k Covid-19 Cases Increase per Day in Winters: Center
The largest body of private physicians in the field of allopathy also asked the minister if there was satisfactory evidence regarding claims made based on studies conducted on Covid-19 patients; and if so, whether the evidence was weak, moderate or strong. The evidence must be in the public domain and available for scientific scrutiny, they said.
“How many of your ministerial colleagues have so far made an informed decision to receive treatment according to these protocols? What prevents you from handing over the care and control of Covid-19 to Ayush’s ministry? “were the other questions that IMA asked the minister.
IMA said science required reproducibility of a claim elsewhere in non-conflict situations and double-blind control studies.
“… He admits that these are based on empirical evidence, which means that the evidence is anecdotal and based on individual subjective experiences. He himself refers to Ayush as historical forms of treatment rather than current ones, saying that Ayurveda has contributed to the foundation of modern medicine. IMA demands that the Union health minister be sincere … Otherwise, it is inflicting fraud on the nation and on gullible patients by calling placebos drugs, ”the members said in a statement.
Also read: Horse plasma can be used to treat Covid-19 patients, says ICMR study
Currently, IMA has 1,746 branches in operation in different states of the country.
“We have written an open letter to the health minister and he has to respond to the people of India. It is the minister of health, not the minister of Ayush. What is the credibility of the document you have delivered? They have used words like “informed choice” and “empirical evidence”, but they are quite vague. There is a risk of mixing the systems during treatment. Who will answer? We are in the middle of a pandemic and we are trying to save lives. This is a serious problem, ”said Dr. RV Asokan, IMA’s honorary general secretary.
Health Ministry officials said the protocol was intended for treatment in Ayush hospitals.
“This is a benchmark for doctors in Ayush hospitals and Ayush practitioners treating Covid-19 patients,” said a Health Ministry official, requesting anonymity.
.
