Start ayurvedic Covid-19 hospital in Nagpur too, demands NIMA

NAGPUR: In order to fight against the bed and medicine crisis in the second wave, the authorities have now shortlisted many ayurvedic medical colleges and hospitals to turn them into Covid hospitals.
Ayurveda practitioners and students in Nagpur have demanded that Covid hospital, if started in Ayurveda Medical College, must have an option for patients to be treated with ayurvedic medicines and treatment.
One such experiment is already underway in Thane.
In Thane, the municipal corporation had decided to start Covid-19 hospital in the Arogyadhaam Hospital. Here, they have allowed doctors to treat patients using ayurveda treatment. Patients will get both options – modern medicine and ayurveda — here. The Maharashtra Covid-19 task force has allowed this integrated approach in this hospital.
Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and state health department are currently in the process of starting Covid-19 hospitals at two ayurvedic colleges in city. The National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA) has demanded that patients should be given ayurveda as treatment option here.
“If it can happen in Thane, then why not in Nagpur?” asked Dr Mohan Yende, senior office-bearer of NIMA. NMC has planned 200-bed Covid hospital in Government Ayurvedic College and 100-bed facility in Mulak Ayurvedic college so far. Proposals have been invited from many other ayurveda colleges in and around Nagpur, and soon they will also start Covid-19 treatment.
Member of Maharashtra Covid task force Dr Shubha Raul said ayurvedic treatment has proved beneficial for thousands of patients. “We have been demanding this from Maharashtra government since last 14 months. Patients should have freedom to choose pathy to be used on them. This will also release burden on modern medicine and will help reduce crisis of medicines and injections,” she said.
Ayurveda practitioner Vaidya Nandan Narlawar said even modern medicine doctors are treating Covid-19 patients only in symptomatic way. “There is still no medicine for Covid-19 in allopathy. Ayurveda at least has a proper treatment mentioned in it. We have thousands of testimonials. Patients are ready to be treated with ayurveda. Government should allow this in Nagpur,” he said.
TOI tried to contact NMC health officials about this demand, but they said that final decision will be taken by the Covid-19 task force and state government’s health department.
INTEGRATED APPROACH
Many ayurvedic doctors are treating Covid patients with their own medicines
They have testimonials in Nagpur with patients claiming they recovered with ayurvedic medicines
At least 4 doctors in city have become so popular that they see hundreds of patients daily
At least 2 ayurvedic medical colleges will be become Covid-19 hospitals in next 2 weeks
Doctors have demanded that they should get permission to treat patients with ayurvedic medicines