SC allows AYUSH practitioners to prescribe certain immunity boosters to COVID patients, specifies conditions

NEW DELHI: Government-approved tablets or mixtures can now be prescribed by AYUSH doctors to COVID 19 patients as immunity boosters, the Supreme Court recently held in view of the directions in the March 6 order of the Ministry.

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, however, said these doctors cannot prescribe or advertise them as a cure for Covid-19.

The order of the apex court was passed on an appeal filed by Dr AKB Sadbhavana Mission School of Homeo Pharmacy against the August 21 decision of the Kerala High Court holding that AYUSH doctors shall not prescribe tablets or mixtures as cures for Covid-19, but only as immunity boosters. 

The Kerala High Court order prohibited AYUSH doctors from advertising or prescribing medicines as a cure for Covid-19, except those specifically mentioned in the Centre's advisory on 6 March 2020.

The high court also added that it would be open for the state authorities to take appropriate action under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2015, and other relevant orders of both the Central and State Governments against erring AYUSH practitioners.

However, the institution approached the Supreme Court contending that the AYUSH medicine practitioners had been precluded from providing treatment for the fatal virus. The petitioner challenged the judgement of the High Court on the grounds that it is contrary to the advisory issued by the Government of India from time to time.

The Kerala High Court order had asked the state government to use alternative medicine only as an immunity booster. It had ordered that alternative medicine such as homeopathy, Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and naturopathy be used to enhance immunity to resist the disease.

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