(Image source from: oneindia.com)

Patanjali has launched the Ayurved-based COVID cure ‘coronil’ on Tuesday. While Ramdev Baba asserted its effectiveness, the government has banned the drug seeking a detailed report from the company about its composition. Ramdev says “Just a communication gap”.

Just hours after the launch of Coronil by Ramdev Baba, his firm has fallen into the trap of controversy.

Yoga Guru Ramdev launched a coronavirus drug kit with ‘coronil and swasari’ for 545/- on Tuesday, which according to him has shown 100% positive results during the clinical trials on mild to moderate symptomatic COVID-19 patients. Patanjali said that they have carried the trials following the standard protocols and claimed, all COVID-19 positive patients have transformed to negative within a span of 3 to 15 days.

Later in the day, Centre denied its association with the new medicine saying, “Facts of the claim and details of the stated scientific study are not known to the ministry”. Ministry of AYUSH has started the investigation and has sought a detailed report on the medicine’s composition and research data. It has asked the company to stop advertising its drug until it is fairly corroborated.

Ramdev spoke to media about the controversy and if coronil is really a cure for coronavirus patients. Reacting to the scientific dubiousness around Ayurveda as an effective medicine to COVID-19, he said “If Ayurveda didn’t work, how would our studies show 100% results?” Coronil is formulated with 100 active ingredients called phytochemicals that are proven to cure patients. “There is no magic involved”, he said.

Responding to the AYUSH Ministry’s charge, he said, “We have taken all permissions right from the production of the drug to its clinical trials. We have sent all related information to AYUSH ministry today, they will receive it soon. We have presented all details even to the media. We have not violated any laws”.

When asked about the ministry’s ban on the promotion of their medicine, he responded saying, “We are not doing any promotions or advertisements based on false claims. If we conducted clinical trial and found that 100% of patients are recovered, will we not tell that to people? Why will we lie?”   

Ramdev exclaimed,” The AYUSH ministry should also be patient and support our good work. We have spoken to the AYUSH officials; they said we don’t have any information on the drug, so we sent to them”.

The Patanjali founder also claimed that the company conducted clinical trials with permission from ICMR’s Clinical Trial Registry. He also added that it was a mere communication gap with the government authorities and the issue with them has been sorted out.

He spoke about his Ayurvedic coronavirus kit which contains supplementary medicines ‘Swasari and Anu oil’ and said they are effective in strengthening the respiratory system and enhancing immunity. These can be used for both prevention and cure of COVID-19.

By Gayatri Yellayi