The Supreme Court on Tuesday held that qualified AYUSH doctors can prescribe government-approved tablets or mixtures as immunity boosters for COVID-19 patients as per the directions in the March 6 order of the Ministry. A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, however, said these doctors cannot prescribe or advertise them as a cure for COVID-19. The order of the apex court was passed on an appeal filed against the August 21 decision of the Kerala High Court holding that AYUSH doctors shall not prescribe tablets or mixtures as cures for COVID-19, but only as immunity boosters. The Kerala High Court order had asked the state government to use alternative medicine only as an immunity booster. It had ordered that alternative medicine such as homoeopathy, Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and naturopathy be used to enhance immunity to resist the disease. The High Court order had prohibited AYUSH doctors from advertising or prescribing medicines as a cure for COVID-19, except those specifically mentioned in the Centre’s advisory on March 6, 2020. An appeal was filed in the top court by Dr AKB Sadbhavana Mission School of Homeo Pharmacy against the Kerala High Court order.
