Patanjali requests medical trials for effects of Ayurvedic medicine on coronavirus

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
May 28, 2020

Ayurvedic consumer and lifestyle brand Patanjali’s Research Foundation Trust has proposed trials to determine the effectiveness of Ayurvedic medicines against Covid-19 and congress leaders have sought an investigation into how this was allegedly approved in Indore.

 
After Indore’s district collector Manish Singh allegedly gave his approval to the Patanjali Research Foundation Trust to test the effects of its Ayurvedic medicines on the coronavirus, he faced backlash from other officials, the Press Trust of India reported. Former chief minister Digvijaya Singh announced his surprise on Twitter at Manish Singh’s decision to approve Patanjali’s proposal without first seeking approval from India’s drug controller.
 
"I am sure Collector Indore was blissfully unaware of these guidelines,” tweeted Digvijaya Singh on Saturday. “I would request him and GOMP [Government of Madhya Pradesh] not to treat citizens of Indore as guinea pigs to oblige some one close to the powers that be. The orders should immediately be withdrawn.”

Manish Singh announced that he had not given his approval to the proposal and said there was “confusion” being spread. Following the confusion, State Congress spokesperson Neelabh Shukla asked for a probe into the matter. 
 
Baba Ramdev’s business also sought to refute claims that it plans to medically experiment on people in Indore.

“Our proposed treatment regime for this pandemic is based on traditional Ayurvedic medicines already being used by millions of people,” said Patanjali’s managing director, Acharya Balkrishna.

“We want to prove this treatment methodology globally through scientific evidence… We are going by the book for documentation of this scientific process. Multinational companies and other vested interests are behind raking up a controversy unnecessarily. They don't want to see Ayurvedic advancements.”