Day after the Centre asked Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved Ltd to stop advertising or publicising a medicine it launched for curing COVID-19, Union Minister Shripad Naik on Wednesday said it a “good thing” that the Yoga guru has given a new medicine to the country but it needs proper permission from the Ayush Ministry first.

He further confirmed that Patanjali had sent a report on the medicines “Coronil and Swasari” to the ministry which will be examined before granting permission.

“It is a good thing that Baba Ramdev has given a new medicine to the country but as per rules, it has to come to the Ayush Ministry first. They even said that they have sent a report. We’ll look into it and permission will be given after seeing the report,” Shripad Naik was quoted as saying by ANI.

“Anyone can make medicines. Anyone who wants to make medicines has to go through the Ayush ministry task force. Everyone has to send details of the research to the Ayush ministry for confirmation. This is the rule and no can advertise their products without it,” the minister asserted.

On Tuesday, Ramdev launched Patanjali’s Coronil tablet, which he claims is a cure for COVID-19. Patanjali claims those administered the medicine were fully cured and none died. Ramdev even said that 69 per cent of them recovered within 3 days.

Hours later, the Centre asked his Patanjali Ayurved Ltd to stop advertising or publicising its claims till the issue is “duly examined”.

Taking cognizance of media reports, the Ayush Ministry said that “facts of the claim and details of the stated scientific study are not known to the Ministry”.

It also said that the government has informed the company that such advertisements of drugs including ayurvedic medicines are regulated under the provisions of Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and Rules thereunder and the directives issued by the Central Government in the wake of Coronavirus outbreak.

The Ayush Ministry also reminded Patanjali of a gazette notification, issued on April 21, asserting what are the requirements and manner of research studies on COVID-19.

A ministry statement said: “In order to make this Ministry aware of the facts of the aforesaid news and verify the claims, Patanjali Ayurved Ltd has been asked to provide at the earliest details of the name and composition of the medicines being claimed for Covid treatment; site(s)/hospital(s), where the research study was conducted for Covid-19; protocol, sample size, Institutional Ethics Committee clearance, CTRI registration and results data of the study (ies) and stop advertising/publicizing such claims till the issue is duly examined.”

Meanwhile, the Ayush Ministry has also asked the Uttarakhand government’s licensing authority to provide copies of license and product approval details of the ayurvedic medicines which the yoga guru claimed, treats COVID-19, a global pandemic that has the world worried.