Consider Representation For Use Of Alternate Medicines To Treat Corona: Madras HC

A petition was filed before the Madras High Court, seeking a writ of mandamus directing the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Ministry of Ayush to issue appropriate directions to the Siddha Central Research Institute to test Siddha (Indian Traditional Medicine Herbal Mixture) for curing of COVID-19.

Madras High Court Bench comprising of Justices Vineet Kothari and R. Suresh Kumar took up the petition through video conferencing.

It is stated that the essential prayer in the petitions was to direct the State Government to constitute a committee to consider the representations of persons/societies or associations to allow the authorised medical practitioners and others to provide relief and help to people affected by the Coronavirus by prescribing alternative medicines by way of Ayurveda/Siddha/Unani/Homeopathy or Naturopathy methods, besides Allopathy.

Arvind Pandian, the Additional Advocate General, submitted to the Court that Health Secretary of the State Government has already constituted a Technical Committee comprising of experts in various fields to consider the Representations and issue appropriate Guidelines for the practitioners of the respective fields and also for common public.

The Bench additionally directed the Technical Committee "to consider all the concerned representations made in this regard to the State Government, for prevention and treatment of the said disease and also for the other measures like Alcoholic and Non-alcoholic (Nanolife) hand sanitizers and other types of sanitizers, soaps and mask of various types, which can be provided or supplied to the people at large, for meeting the said emergency of COVID-19".

Matter will now be listed after four weeks, post the resumption of the Court's regular working.