In a statement the Ministry claimed that the efficacy of these drugs has been proved through robust multi-centre clinical trials. The multi stakeholder campaign being launched by the Minister of State (independent charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports and Minister of Ayush (additional charge) Kiren Rijiju will ensure that medicines reach the needy in a transparent and efficient manner. The main collaborator in the campaign is Sewa Bharati.

A comprehensive strategy for distribution has been chalked out and the rollout will unfold in a phased manner, utilising the wide network of various institutions working under the aegis of the ministry. This will be supported by the countrywide network of Sewa Bharati.

The Ministry has taken several initiatives and set up an Interdisciplinary AYUSH Research and Development Task Force involving experts from diverse fields to formulate and develop strategies for control and mitigation of Covid-19. Many clinical and observational studies have been undertaken to understand the role of AYUSH interventions in mitigation and management of Covid-19. Various studies were carried out on AYUSH-64, an Ayurvedic formulation developed by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) and Kabasura Kudineer, a classical Siddha formulation.

The statement claimed that the Ministry of Ayush-Council of Scientific and Industrial Research collaboration has recently completed a robust multi-centre clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AYUSH 64 in the management of mild to moderate Covid-19 patients.

"Kabasura Kudineer, a Siddha medicine was also subjected to clinical trials for studying the efficacy in Covid-19 patients by Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS) under Ministry of Ayush and is also found useful in the treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 infection," it said.

The Ministry has also set up an Interdisciplinary Committee for Inclusion of Ayurveda and Yoga Interventions in the 'National Clinical Management Protocol: Covid-19', which was chaired by Dr V M Katoch, former Director General ICMR.

"Based on the encouraging results of AYUSH-64 and Kabasura Kudineer in the management of asymptomatic, mild to moderate Covid-19 as adjunct to standard care, the Ministry of Ayush is launching this nationwide campaign for distribution of AYUSH-64 and Kabasura Kudineer today so that the Covid -19 patients in home isolation may be benefited with Ayush systems of medicines," the statement said.