Rajasthan Health Dept issues notice to Jaipur Hospital over conducting 'Coronil' trials

Rajasthan's Health Department has served a notice to NIMS Hospital in Jaipur seeking explanation over conducting trials of Patanjali's drug Coronil on Coronavirus patients. The notice was served on Wednesday and sought explanation within three days. Patanjali has claimed that 'Coronil' can cure COVID-19 and that trials have shown 100% favourable results. However, the Ministry of AYUSH has sought details of the Ayurvedic drug and ordered the firm to stop advertisements and publicity until the drug and claims about it are examined.

"We served notice to the hospital on Wednesday evening seeking explanation in three days. The hospital did not inform the state government nor sought permission," Chief Medical and Health Officer, Jaipur, Dr Narottam Sharma said. He said the reply from National Institute of Medical Science (NIMS), Jaipur is awaited.

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Meanwhile, just like Uddhav Thackeray's government, the Rajasthan government, too, has clarified that the drug cannot be used as a medicine in the state without the permission of the Ministry of AYUSH. State Health Minister on Wednesday stated that strict action would be taken against the seller as per the rules in case of sale of any drug as a medicine to treat the Coronavirus

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AYUSH Ministry asks Patanjali for details 

In a release, the Ministry on Wednesday said that facts of the claim and details of the stated scientific study are not known to it. It had said the concerned Ayurvedic drug manufacturing company has been informed that such advertisements of drugs including Ayurvedic medicines are regulated under the provisions of Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and directives issued by the Central government in the wake of COVID outbreak.

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The release had said that Patanjali Ayurved has been asked to provide at the earliest details of the name and composition of the medicines being claimed for COVID treatment, places where the research study was conducted for COVID-19, protocol, sample size, Institutional Ethics Committee clearance, CTRI registration and results from data of the study and "stop advertising/publicising such claims till the issue is duly examined.

The Ministry had also requested concerned state licensing authority of Uttrakhand to provide copies of license and product approval details of Ayurvedic medicines being claimed for the treatment of COVID-19.

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(With PTI Inputs)