Though the number of coronavirus afflicted persons is increasing in the State by leaps and bounds, Tamil Nadu Government is reluctant to take up drugs developed by a team of eminent physicians who has assured the authorities that it would cure the pandemic.
Closely on the heels of the Union Government’s Ministry of Ayush cold shouldering the drug and treatment protocol developed and submitted by Dr PR Krishnakumar, the legendary ayurvedic acharya from the State and his team of researchers, yet another instance of an ayurvedic medicine getting raw deal from Tamil Nadu Government has come out.
This time a drug protocol developed by Dr PLT Girija, a Chennai based Ayurvedic physician who is also into research and development of ayurvedic medicine, and her team of scientists has been ignored by the Government of Tamil Nadu despite the evidence based proof about the efficacy of the drug.
“According to Ayurveda, Covid-19, with the predominant symptoms of fever, respiratory distress and cough, with associated symptoms can be classified as Vata-kapha predominant fever. Ayurvedic practitioners are used to treating similar conditions with medicines recommended in the classical Ayurvedic texts,” said Dr Girija in her protocol proposal to the State Government.
Dr CV Krishnaswamy, leading diabetologist and physician in Tamil Nadu who was the advisor to the seven member research team said it was unfortunate that the Government chose to ignore the request for clinical trials for the medicine.
Dr Girija said that she has treated many patients and cured them of the pandemic with this ayurvedic drug. “It is only because of our confidence in the medicine that we submitted it to the Government for trials or treatment. As such there is no need for clinical trials for Ayurveda medicine. The clinical trials are for checking the possibility of adverse drug reaction (ADR). But Ayurveda system of medicine itself is different and does not require trials,” she said.
Dr Girija also disclosed that she has treated many Covid-19 patients and all of them had been cured of the disease.
“ Even persons in the USA are taking medicine prescribed by me and getting cured. These are not claims as I have been in the profession for nearly four decades,” said the doctor who completed her six and half year long ayurvedic course bef0ore turning into a full-fledged practitioner.
Tamil Nadu minister for health Vijaya Basker and department secretary Beela Rajesh being MBBS graduates, there are nobody to push the case of Ayurveda or Siddha, pointed out Dr Krishnaswamy. “How can persons with no experience or exposure to Ayurveda sit in judgement over the efficacy of this stream of medicine?” asked Dr Krishnaswamy who did not rule out the possibility of some kind of conspiracy to destroy Ayurveda stream.
With some of the news channels exposing private hospitals in Chennai charging a fortune for treating covid-19 patients, the arrival of a low cost and effective drug in the market would come as a dampener to the corporate hospitals.
