Hyderabad: Unani medicine for Covid-19 under research

Hyderabad: At least four formulations of Unani medicines have been under study for the last one year. The research is going on to control Covid-19 in Unani treatment and research papers expected to be submitted soon to the Ministry of Ayush. After submission of formulation research, the safety and clinical efficacy will be checked and the ministry will approve the medicine for clinical trials.

Corona virus is a strange disease for the entire world which has no effective medicine yet. A few companies have developed vaccines but that is not hundred percent effective. It may take a few years to get the appropriate medicine to eliminate corona virus.

Meanwhile, in 2020 the Ministry of Ayush has directed Ayurveda and Unani centres to start research on medicine to control the corona virus. Both took up the research which is in the last stage. The Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine under the Ministry of Ayush has conducted a drug study under the supervision of Unani medical experts and the outcome is expected soon.

Member of Scientific Advisory committee Padmashree Doctor M A Waheed, who is supervising the research, revealed that the world was blank on Covid-19 remedy and not able to decide what to do even after having a technology but the Indian government has taken the bold initiative to develop medicine against corona virus and asked immediately to start research on it".

He added that the research has started on 4 to 5 formulations and it is close to the finishing line, soon the research papers will be submitted to the ministry that will go for clinical trials.

Dr M A Waheed stated that the medicine which is being developed is consumable heals from inside and enhance immunity in the body to fight against the viruses it will work very effectively on the patients with the mild or moderate condition or those who are asymptomatic. "The country will be corona free once the medicine comes to the market we will be able to curb the virus in the early-stage mostly and the severity of the virus will go down," he said.

Explaining about the virus, Dr Munawwar Kazmi, A Director National Research Institute of Unani Medicine for Skin Disorders, said that the corona virus may be new to the world but Unani is not, it is ancient and it was effectively dismissed pandemics in past like plague and Spanish flu, definitely it will also eliminate Covid-19 soon.

The Director said that Unani medicine did not have costly laboratories like Pharma companies but it has vast experience of centuries to develop effective medicine for ailments and the experience will work where modern medicines fail. He also added that the medicine being developed by Unani will cost less but affects more than the modern medicines.

Currently, asymptomatic patients are suggested to boost the immunity with existing Unani herbs available with the Unani hospitals which can help to stay uninfected, some of them are Burg e Gau Zaban, Gul e banafsha, Ustoqdos, Unnab, and Asgandh ( Ashwagandha) which enhance the immunity power.