Ayush practitioners urge Centre to use Indian systems

Nearly 700 scientists and Ayush practitioners have sent an appeal to the Prime Minister requesting full and effective use of Indian systems of medicine for COVID prevention and treatment. The letter was sent on behalf of Patriotic People-oriented Science and Technology (PPST) Group.

The practitioners who have signed the appeal are across the country, including, 46 practitioners from the Siddha stream of Tamil Nadu. Many of them said they have treated COVID patients in their routine practice.

Dr PLT Girija, a member of PPST Group said, “The appeal lists several highly successful and largescale initiatives where the Indian systems of medicine have been used effectively both for the prevention and cure of COVID. These initiatives have been undertaken by both government institutions and individual practitioners in different parts of the country. It also suggests that the success of these initiatives should naturally lead to the inclusion of these systems in the regular healthcare practice of India.”

The appeal has been initiated by PPST, a group formed by scientists and technologists in the early eighties to work towards making science and technology in India more functional and connected with the needs and requirements of the country.

“However, to achieve this, it is important to study and promote Indian knowledge and the practice of science and technology in various fields. So, the members of the group have done significant work in studying the history, epistemology, prevalence and practical efficacy of several disciplines of the traditional Indian science and technology,” said Dr TM Mukundan, another member.