HC directs the Center to track the efficacy of COVID-19 treatment with Siddha medicine

The Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered the Center to take immediate measures to check the effectiveness of a Siddha drug, which has been established by a COVID-19 Siddha practitioner based in Tamil Nadu. Directives were also provided by Judges P N Prakash and B Pugalendhi of the Madurai Bench to the Central Research Council in Ayurveda and Siddha, which instructed them to send a report by 3 August on the newly established IMPRO medicine with 66 herbs.
When a petition was tabled by Siddha doctor S Subramanian who believed his medicine could cure COVID-19, he noted that a committee of Tamil Nadu experts already sent the petitioner’s medicine to the Center for further studies on virology while observing that they may have anti-viral properties.
The judges observed that the indigenous medicines were given importance in the pandemic situation only and announced that their production would not only help the country’s people but the entire human race. The Government will fund Indian, cost-effective drugs for the good of the entire world.
The “Impro” medicine containing 66 herbs had been sent to the Centre by State experts for virology research. Now the Center needs to function. Siddha medicines required more research and development patronage and the sum allocated to that could not be sufficient to achieve the aim, the Court said. The administration should also ensure that licensed Siddha medicines are available in medical shops, says the bank, as it observes that even modern medicines contain herbs.
While government funding for Siddha-drug products will dramatically reduce the medical costs for the ordinary people, each medicine system should be demonstrated through established agreed methods, tested and approved by medical experts, the Court added. The petitioner requested the court to perform a medicinal virology test and to notify the outcome in a stated period. The state government told the court that “IMPRO” was forwarded for further action to the Central Research Council in Ayurveda and Siddha.

The Center claimed that approximately 3,500 such applications were submitted and it was humanly impossible for them to function on all the applications. Furthermore, the plaintiff claimed the privilege of patent for the medication that fell under his jurisdiction. The Center added that it had not neglected siddha medicine and recommended herbal dicoctions for Nilavembu and Kabasura for the promotion of immunity in combating COVID 19.