No AYUSH-related ads about Covid-19 cure: PCI to media

The Press Council of India has issued an advisory to media houses to stop and prevent the publicity of and advertisements regarding the treatment of the coronavirus

Published on: Apr 4, 2020, 23:28:57 IST

By HT Correspondent, NEW DELHI

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The Press Council of India has issued an advisory to media houses to stop and prevent the publicity of and advertisements regarding the treatment of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) by the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy’s (AYUSH).

In the advisory issued on Friday, the Press Council advised print media to stop advertising the AYUSH’s claims to prevent dissemination of misleading information about AYUSH’s drugs and services given the Covid-19 outbreak in the country.

This comes on the day Haridwar-based Patanjali Research Institute submitted an Ayurvedic treatment regime for Covid-19 to the union government. Their research claims that natural phytochemicals in certain herbs have the potential to combat Covid-19 and its pathogenicity. SK Tijarawala, public relations officer for Patanjali, said that the institute researched compounds of certain herbs and found that when taken in a certain ratio, they help build immunity. While the study done by the Patanjali Research Institute is currently under peer-review for publication, medical experts say that immunity (against Covid-19) cannot be boosted overnight, but rather is a long term process that can help one fight different kinds of viruses and bacteria.

Meanwhile, healthcare professionals have raised concerns about arbitrary claims of cure and prevention being made online and disseminated through social media platforms.

On Wednesday, the AYUSH had directed all Ayurvedic, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathic (ASU&H) regulatory authorities concerned in states and union territories to stop and prevent the publicity and advertising of claims for Covid-19 treatment in print, television and electronic media.

In its order, the ministry had called for necessary action against the persons or agencies involved in contravening the relevant legal provisions and the guidelines of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

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