As modern medicine tries hard to get a drug or a vaccine, the burning question is if our traditional medicines such as Ayurveda, Homeopathy and Naturopathy actually help. Yu Yanhong, Party chief of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, reported that 74,187 COVID-19 patients, or 91.5 percent of the total confirmed cases in China were treated with TCM. But the herbs found in China deffer from the ones found in India, so will Indian alternative medicines to slow Coronavirus outbreak?

On the prevention side of the outbreak

Ayurveda Medical Association of India, President, Dr Raju Thomas, said that while there is no vaccine for the virus, there are alternative medicines to slow coronavirus if we are talking on the prevention side of things. Another expert, Dr Rohit Sane, MD and CEO at Madhavbaug commented that along with social distancing there is a need to boost one’s immunity too. The stronger the body’s immune system, the more likely we are to survive the pandemic. He suggested that amla (gooseberry) is a good ingredient to boost immunity along with the right exercise. Reducing the consumption of glucose and raising antioxidants levels is the way to go as glucose allows the virus to grow.

India has approximately 7.8 lakh Ayurvedic, Unani and Homeopathic doctors. If need arises there is no doubt that they will step forward to provide assistance. The officials have already taken the aid of Ayurvedic doctors in the interiors of Palakkad, Kerala, to check the temperature and initial monitoring of the virus. It cannot be denied that India lacks documentation to prove the efficacy of alternative medicines but it has proved itself time an again in practice

Evidence based practice for healthcare

By definition the Cochrane Collaboration states, “Evidence-based health care is the conscientious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients or the delivery of health services.”

This means that by using previous evidence that has been collected through scientific research and experimentation, doctors make educated decisions to provide the best possible care for their patients. It puts theoretical knowledge into practical use and helps upskill doctors, it enable and fosters critical thinking and enables clear analysis of the patient’s problem. Docmode is an online platform that encourages evidence based learning for medical personnel and offers a wide range of courses and lectures. The company in association with partners like AIOS, API, Cleveland clinic also provides certification and other benefits on the completion of these courses