Only one siddha drug claims to cure Covid-19: Madras HC told

CHENNAI: The Union ayush department on Thursday informed the Madras high court that so far the department has received only one sample of siddha drug with a ‘claim’ that it might act against Covid-19.
“The central council for research in siddha has received the sample from doctor S Yesudas, Chennai. The council has sought for other details required to test a drug under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,” K Kanakavalli, director-general of the council, said in her report.This apart, the ministry has received 97 suggestions/concepts/proposals in response to a special call given for Covid-19. After scrutiny, 11 were recommended for consideration of which one pre-clinical project and six clinical trial projects have been approved and funded by the ministry, the report said.
The report was filed in response to a series of queries raised by a division bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice V M Velumani on the potential use of siddha medicine for Covid-19.
When the plea came up for hearing on Thursday, assistant solicitor general G Karthikeyan filed the report on behalf of the department and submitted that the ministry has allotted ₹239.1crore in the past 10 years for research in siddha medicine.
Recording the submissions, the bench made it clear that it has been hearing the habeas corpus petition seeking to quash detention of V Thanikasalam, a quack, under the Goondas Act only to analyse the public interest attached to it. Thanikasalam was arrested for his claim to have found a cure for Covid-19.