Ludhiana, January 4
While the ongoing controversy about certain ayurvedic formulations manufactured by Divya Yog Sansthan Pharmacy of Swami Ramdev has put a big question mark on the contents and quality of ayurvedic medicines, and the indigenous system as a whole, there is an emerging demand for bringing in stringent controls and regulations in the manufacture of ayurvedic medicines.
Ayurvedic practitioners and other followers of the system strongly believe that standardisation of ayurvedic medicines was the need of the hour. It was high time when ayurvedic world as a whole should improve its shortcomings and the government ought to lay stringent quality control standards.
Checking of raw material, quality of herbs and the manufacturing procedures should be done according to the Ayurvedic Formulatory of India and necessary steps be taken to close down “fly-by-night” pharmacies and manufacturing units with poor infrastructure.
According to Dr R. Vatsyayan, noted ayurveda scholar, physician and former member of the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Sidha (CCRAS), there might be some substance in charges levelled by CPM activist Vrinda Karat against Swami Ramdev’s ayurvedic medicines.
But her observations had to be seen in the light of the fact that there was a labour unrest in his unit and communist trade unions were supporting the workers. The present controversy could be a fallout of this problem.
In any case, the issue was of great concern to the ayurvedic world because on earlier occasions also, there were reports that some of the western countries had banned the sale of some of the ayurvedic medicines after these were found to contain high quantity of certain heavy metals.
Claiming that ayurveda was the oldest and yet most documented medical system of the world, he said it was unique in the sense that it aimed at treating a person in a holistic way, making body, mind and the soul healthy. Yoga and ayurveda were part of the same vedic culture.
Elaborating on the ingredients used in manufacture of ayurvedic medicines, Dr Vatsyayan said plants and herbs were used as medicine. Later, as the system developed, certain other things like metals and minerals were incorporated into it. But it was only after these were purified and their toxicity removed by using certain techniques.
The procedure of preparing these medicines was also very stringent so that these did not cause any harmful effect to the body.
“Admittedly, minerals are used in other system of medicines also. Iron, copper, manganese and even gold salts are used in allopathic medicines. Coral, pearl and conch used in ayurveda are regarded the safest forms of calcium. No doubt certain animal parts are used in ayurveda, but such number is miniscule. Their derivatives or active principles are also used in allopathy like liver extract, placenta, animal fat and hormones. There is not a single line in any ayurvedic texts where use of human bones have been mentioned.”
Terming the allegations of use of human bones in ayurvedic medicines baseless, motivated and without any substance, he observed that it was also foolish to raise the controversy of vegetarianism versus non-vegetarianism on the face of a disease.
However, the provisions regarding the package carrying complete details of the ingredients should be scrupulously followed, Dr Vatsyayan maintained.
He was of the view that the ayurvedists should take this controversy as a blessing in disguise. They could only compete with the modern scientific systems if they became transparent and remove certain misgivings by clearing doubts and cobwebs. “Let there be a joint scientific study incorporating scientists of both the ayurveda and allopathy. India has laboratories of international standards. It also has a few ayurvedic universities. Scholars of ayurveda should come forward to improve the lot of their system.”
Coming down heavily upon the practice of mass prescribing of medicines in camps or through TV programmes, Dr Vatsyayan remarked that ayurveda was a highly classified system of medicine.
“The disease may be the same but according to its basic principles, the treatment may differ from patient to patient. The practice of giving prescriptions on television and that too without examining a patient should also be curbed with a heavy hand.”
