Coronavirus: AYUSH medicines are promotive ones, says Naik

Union AYUSH minister Shripad Naik on Sunday said his ministry has not claimed that Ayurveda, Unani, and Homeopathy have cures for novel coronavirus as these lines of treatment are yet to be scientifically validated. The minister said treatments prescribed in the three systems of alternative medicine are meant for the respiratory system and help boost immunity.

He, however, added that some of these medicines can be used to "lessen the impact of the coronavirus". "We have firmly said that though our medicine is not validated scientifically, it has been proved that Ayurveda, Homeopathy, and Unani can be used as promotive medicines," he told PTI on Sunday.

Promotive medicines look at boosting health and immunity as a bulwark against diseases rather than a direct cure from the pathogen. "It can be used by those who are already infected so that they can get relief," he said.

Naik said some medicines prescribed in Ayurveda, Homeopathy, and Unani have been validated by his ministry at "our level" but overall validation is a "lengthy process".