- Indigenous medicines and practices undergo clinical trials
Photo courtesy Experience Sri Lanka[/caption]
Since April, Sri Lankan indigenous medicine practitioners too were urged to assist the Government in its fight to prevent and possibly eradicate Covid-19 by looking at Ayurvedic medicines.
Just as the first wave of Covid-19 cases were being reported in Sri Lanka, the Minister of Health, along with the task force appointed to prevent the Covid-19 outbreak, had invited a group of 60 renowned indigenous medicine practitioners to the National Operation Centre for Prevention of Covid-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) to explore the possibilities of finding a curative medicine using the knowledge they inherited through generations.
While we waited for the right kind of medication to be concocted, many of us returned to drinking koththamalli (coriander seed water) and other herbal drinks that have been taken to boost one's immunity on a daily basis.
With that, there was renewed interest in adding the once pushed away practice of indigenous medicines back into our daily intakes of consumables.
Given that Covid-19 is a virus, as with all viruses, we will have to build antibodies naturally; if we have a weak immune system, we will have to take in immunity boosters in the form of food and supplements to help fight it out of our systems.
Essentially, these Ayurveda medicines do just that and many of those who were treated at Covid-19-designated state hospitals said they were given koththamalli, herbal porridges, etc. and asked to inhale steam twice a day, whilst being subjected to health screenings and PCR tests. Paracetamol would be given if they were having fever.
Questions, however, have been raised over whether Ayurvedic medicines would be effective against a virus that seems to be mutating into various strains at this point.
The Sunday Morning reached out to several experts in the field to understand where we stand in terms of finding prophylaxis that can be safely used in the treatment regime, which will not have adverse impacts and burden the country’s healthcare system.
Clash of two systems
With many herbal preparations now being introduced to the market, and some claiming that they can be used as a cure for Covid-19 as well as prevent a person from being infected with Covid-19, the sceptics have stepped in, requesting that the preparations be tested through clinical trials. However, speaking to The Sunday Morning, academic Prof. Aruna Munasinghe said: “Sri Lankans have been following indigenous medical practices for generations and at no point has the practice or its medicines and treatments ever been put to a test. How can an Ayurveda medicine be trialled through the western medical method? You simply cannot do that.” Elaborating on the onset of this disease, when people were asked to add food and supplements that would boost their immunity against respiratory illnesses, Prof. Munasinghe noted: “We all returned to consuming herbal drinks that have been used for generations that helped people heal. Furthermore, how a synthetic medicine and a plant-based medicine reacts and works are very different, which proves that we are trying to put to the test two different practices, which will not work.” Prof. Munasinghe also questioned whether the knowledge passed on through generations and historic records about the age-old practices Sri Lanka once had should really be questioned at this juncture, as many of the traditional healers worked through their institution and their vast knowledge in how herbs reacted in curing many diseases and strengthening people’s immune systems. “We cannot draw comparisons, as both practices follow different methods and most of these ingredients that are used in these tonics are not harmful to people. Many of us have consumed these newly produced Ayurvedic preparations and we have not so far had any adverse reactions,” Prof. Munasinghe opined.Further testing required
Meanwhile, Government Ayurvedic Medical Officers Association (GAMOA) Deputy Chairman Dr. P. Hewagamage had a slightly different approach to it. “At present, local traditional healers are in the process of finding various cures for coronavirus. There is no doubt that the Ayurveda medicines can be effective.” However, Dr. Hewagamage noted that there could also be a downside to that. “If we prescribe an Ayurvedic preparation without regulation and not educating them on what dosages they need to take, there is going to be a crisis, as some might develop adverse reactions to it.” He clarified that the GAMOA had recognised this problem at the outset and discussed with a large number of traditional healers in the country and submitted their preparation samples to the Ministry of Health to be trialled. But at that time, no one had cared about them. “It is not that we doubt the ability herbs have in healing the sick, but we wanted to educate the people on the proper use of it, and if there were any adverse reactions, we could communicate it to them as well,” Dr. Hewagamage elaborated. With many tonics, syrups, and preparations produced and placed in the market, the Ayurvedic practitioners are now looking to get the approval from the regulatory bodies. A committee of experts that was appointed has submitted a number of papers on the properties of honey, nutmeg, and cumin used in this honey. “For most of these newly released Ayurvedic concoctions, no clinical trial has been conducted in Ayurveda. It has purely been based on the assurance of the practitioner to say that it would cure Covid-19 if consumed,” Dr. Hewagamage added.Process already in place
Moreover, when traditional healers and other doctors produce a medicine using herbs, it undergoes a testing and approval process through the Industrial Technology Institution (ITI). Currently, when a local medicine is produced, it is tested for its taste, quality, strength, effects, and effectiveness on a person. As Dr. Hewagamage pointed out, only a physician with an understanding of these properties can accurately confirm these properties through chemical analysis and functional analysis. “An Ayurvedic doctor has expertise in local and Ayurvedic medicine, as well as the knowledge of a scientist. So, he has an education and knowledge of analysing the two material properties. That is technical knowledge. A layperson cannot do that,” Dr. Hewagamage opined. Since we are still looking for preventive medication that has a fast response rate and are awaiting the international pharmaceutical regulators to release the tried and tested medications and vaccines, the Ayurvedic Medical Council of Sri Lanka took up the task of providing prophylactic medicines to people at the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak.
“We have public health medical officers in 324 divisional secretariats throughout Sri Lanka. When the disease started to spread in the country, through community health officers, the provincial Ayurveda departments went from village to village and provided prophylactic medicines to the people. The recipes introduced to boost our immunity to prevent the disease included medicinal ingredients such as ginger, coriander, sweet potato, rasakinda, and venivelgeta.
“Even today, the coronavirus is controlled in our country due to the heavy use of spices in our day-to-day cooking and the local medicine culture. That is why we as the Indigenous Ayurvedic Medical Association paid more attention to the prevention of diseases. If those measures can be strengthened today, better results can be achieved,” Dr. Hewagamage stressed.
In November, Commissioner of Ayurveda K.D.C.S. Kumarathunge, issuing a circular, announced that the Department of Ayurveda has given permission to Ayurveda manufacturers to produce the “Suwa Dharani” immunity boosting drink.
“When people are purchasing the product named Suwa Dharani, they should look for the Department of Ayurveda approval stamp. The drink will be manufactured through three of the medicine manufacturers of the State and another 31 privately owned medicine manufacturers,” Kumaratunga informed.
Speaking on the matter, State Minister of Indigenous Medicine Promotion, Rural and Ayurvedic Hospitals Development, and Community Health Sisira Jayakody said: “The Department of Ayurveda and the Sri Lanka Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation jointly introduced the immunity boosting drink and a powder for those infected with the Covid-19 virus. All these medicines are manufactured using 100% local herbs and have been named ‘Sadanga Panaya’ and ‘Suwa Dharani’.”