In follow-up to the call given by the Prime Minister to help stop big claims without evidence-support about treatment of COVID 19, the Ministry of AYUSH has initiated steps to curb such claims through creation of awareness. Further, the Ministry also initiated action on the Prime Minister’s advice to work for scientific evidence-based solutions from the AYUSH systems to restrain the spread of the pandemic by setting up a channel to enlist various suggestions and proposals from AYUSH practitioners and AYUSH institutions, and having them examined for viability through a Group of Scientists.

The Ministry is using platforms like video conferencing and social media to reach out to AYUSH practitioners and involve them in stopping and discouraging false and unsupported claims. In a video conference held on 30^th March 2020, nearly hundred thought leaders from different disciplines of AYUSH participated, and among other things, also resolved to work for spreading awareness against such inappropriate claims. Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways and Commerce and Shri Shripad Naik MoS (Independent Charge) AYUSH addressed the leaders of AYUSH Industry in the video conference on 30^th March 2020.

One of the follow up action being initiated by the Ministry of AYUSH on the PM’s call to work for scientific evidence-based solutions from the AYUSH systems is to set up an online channel on its website for receiving suggestions based on scientific explanations and proposals on therapies and procedures prepared based on standard scientific guidelines that could restrain the spread of the Covid -19 pandemic, or to manage the disease. The Ministry has accordingly invited inputs from AYUSH practitioners and AYUSH institutions (institutions may include colleges/ universities, hospitals, research institutes, AYUSH manufacturers, AYUSH associations etc.). The inputs can be submitted on the Ministry’s website at the following link: http://ayush.gov.in/covid-19  (If the link doesn't work when you click on it, you may copy the same and paste in the address bar of your web browser)

The inputs received will be scrutinised by a Committee of Experts. Those proposals recommended by the Scrutiny Committee will be further vetted by a group of scientists from diverse specialties. Wherever possible, those proposals may be taken up for validation studies.

The observations of the PM came in interaction held through video conference with prominent personalities from the AYUSH Sector on 28 March 2020.

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RJ/SK