After the Patanjali Ayurveda misleading advertisement case, the Ministry of AYUSH is under pressure to bridge the growing gap between traditional and modern healthcare systems. In August 2023, a two-day international summit on traditional medicine was organized in collaboration between the ministry and the World Health Organization.
Earlier in 2022, they jointly established the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine. The Government of India has supported it with an investment of $250 million. The Ministry of AYUSH aims to make traditional medicine accessible to the general public by setting up 12,500 AYUSH health and wellness centres.
What needs to be done
More clinical trials are needed
There is a growing demand for more evidence-based treatment protocols within traditional medicine. For example, in 2017, the ministry promoted homeopathic medicines for the treatment of chikungunya and dengue, but there was no scientific basis for this and no clinical trials were conducted.
Curbing misleading advertisements
In 2017, a ministry pamphlet warning pregnant women against eating meat, having sex and thinking evil thoughts had stirred controversy. In April 2020, the Advertising Standards Council of India flagged 50 ads from homeopathic drug manufacturers offering Covid-19 cures. Advertising of anything unscientific should be banned
Improvement in quality control
A 2008 Lancet study found that one-fifth of Ayurvedic medicines manufactured in India and the US contained high levels of heavy metals, including lead, mercury and arsenic compounds. AYUSH medicines must be subjected to the same regulatory standards as allopathic medicines
Who teaches yoga
There should be stricter controls and guidelines on who can be allowed to teach yoga
AYUSH Doctors/Prescriptions
The issue of giving AYUSH doctors the right to prescribe allopathic medicines must be resolved
J.P. Ganpatrao, 63: Shiv Sena, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of AYUSH
Older players
Shiv Sena leader Ganpatrao, born in Mehkar, Maharashtra, has been elected MP from Buldhana for the fourth time in 2024. Earlier, between 1997 and 1999, he had handled the Sports, Youth Welfare and Irrigation departments in Maharashtra.
Policy knowledge
Since being elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009, he has been the Chairman of the Standing Committees on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Communications and IT
pledge to donate organs
He celebrated his new role by planting a tree and pledging to donate his organs.