Ayush Ministry launches campaign to distribute immunity booster medicines

The Ayush Ministry on Thursday launched a campaign in New Delhi for distributing Ayush prophylactic medicines and written guidelines on diet and lifestyle to 75 lakh people across the country to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign was launched by Union Minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister of State (MoS) for Ayush Munjpara Mahendrabhai, a ministry statement said.

In the next one year, the immunity booster medicines and the guidelines to combat COVID-19 will be distributed to 75 lakh people across the country with a special focus on the geriatric (people aged 60 and above) population and frontline workers, it said.

The kit of ayurvedic prophylactic medicines for COVID-19 contains Sanshamani Vati, which is also known as Guduchi or Giloy Ghan Vati, and Ashwagandha Ghan Vati. The kit and the guidelines have been prepared by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Medicines (CCRAS), it added.

The campaign was launched as part of the ongoing ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations to mark 75 years of India’s freedom. The year-long campaign will continue till August 2022, when India celebrates the 75th anniversary of independence.

In his virtual address, Sonowal said the ministry’s campaign is aimed at contributing to the vision and mission of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure “health for all”. The prime minister has listed seven tasks to fight the pandemic and among those, the first one is taking care of the elderly.

“Distribution of Ayush prophylactic medicines will help citizens boost immunity against coronavirus. During the two waves of the pandemic, the people of this country showed great faith in our traditional system of medicine. Their faith has encouraged us to come up with this nationwide distribution campaign.

“This campaign is being carried out through the robust network of more than 86 Ayush institutions across the country,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, MoS for Ayush Mahendrabhai said the campaign for the distribution of prophylactic medicines is especially focused on the 60-plus age group.

It will help boost the immunity of people in this age group as they are considered more vulnerable, he said.

The Ayush Ministry has been allotted one week, from August 30 to September 5, for the promotion of several activities including the launch of the distribution of medicinal plants to farmers and the public and conducting various webinars.