COVID-19: Supreme Court Issues Notice To Centre On Plea Challenging Administration Of Homeo Medicine 'Arsenic Album 30' As Immunity Booster

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice in a writ petition seeking to restrain the administration of homeopathic medicine "Arsenic album 30" to children and elderly persons over 65 years of age as a preventive measure of Covid-19 or for boosting immunity.

The notice was issued by the bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Aniruddha Bose in the writ which has also challenged the Guidelines, Advisories and Fact Sheets issued by the Ministry of Ayush permitting administration of homeopathic medicine.

The petition preferred by Physician-Scientist from Kerala Dr.Cyriac Abby Philips stated that the advisory and Homeopathic guidelines issued by the Ministry of Ayush acted as a grundnorm for different State Governments to prescribe wholly irrational medicines under the pretext of boosting immunity in the wake of coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Philiphs in his plea had filed through Advocate Prashant Padhmanabhan argued that the after effect of the guidelines issued by the Ministry was that highly poisonous carcinogens like arsenic became part of the homeopathic medicine prescribed by some of the State Governments like Kerala.

"Among the consequences of Ayush Ministry guidelines was a shocking decision by the Kerala Govt regarding mass distribution of Arsenicum Album 30CH („Ars. Alb. 30‟), containing arsenic, king of all poisons, a metalloid and known carcinogen to school children, numbering anywhere between 38 lakh to 50 lakh students. As on date, more than 6 lakh medicines are already distributed. Since the Kerala Government derived its authority by virtue of an advisory issued by Ayush Ministry and Homeopathy Guidelines issued by the Central Govt," the plea stated.

Stating that the same was being distributed in the State of Kerala on mass scale to school going children, petitioner in the writ had also sought relief for referring the matter to CoVID Task Force set up by the Top Court on May 6, 2021 to opine whether Arsenicumalbum 30 is safe and/or efficacious as an "immune booster" for Covid 19 and can be administered in en mass manner to children.

It may be noted that the Kerala High Court in plea challenging the proposal to administer a homeopathic drug, Arsenicum Album 30CH (Ars. Alb. 30) among school students as a preventive measure against COVID-19 without any study regarding its efficacy or safety had granted the petitioner liberty to make representation before the Government.

The petitioner had even approached the Top Court against assailing High Court's order which was dismissed by the Top Court on December 17, 2021.

Case Title: Dr.Cyriac Abby Philips and Ors v Union of India and Ors| WP(C) 1352/2021

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