AYUSH Doctors Can’t Prescribe, Advertise Cures for COVID-19: SC

Qualified AYUSH doctors can prescribe government-approved tablets or mixtures as “immunity boosters” for COVID-19 patients. Image used for representation.

(Photo: iStockphoto)

AYUSH doctors and homeopaths cannot prescribe or advertise medicines as cures for COVID-19, the Supreme Court stated on Tuesday, 15 December. It also maintained that qualified AYUSH doctors can prescribe government-approved tablets or mixtures as “immunity boosters” for COVID-19 patients.

Bar and Bench reported that the three-judge Bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Subhash Reddy and MR Shah refused to modify the Kerala High Court order which had earlier passed the same judgement.

The order passed on 21 August by the Kerala High Court was challenged in an appeal by the Dr AKB Sadbhavana Mission School of Homeo Pharmacy.

The order maintains that while the AYUSH and homeopathic doctors cannot prescribe or advertise medicines as cures for COVID-19, they can prescribe government-approved medicines for the purpose of boosting immunity, as per the Centre’s advisory issued on 6 March.

It also stated that Homeopathy, Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and naturopathy can be used to enhance immunity to reduce the risk of COVID-19, the Times of India reported.

This comes as India passes the 99 lakh cases of coronavirus as of 15 December, with 99,06,165 cases and the death toll at 1,43,709. However, the number of new daily infections has been falling in the country since mid-September, when it reached a peak of over 90,000 cases a day.

(With inputs from Bar and Bench, Times of India)