CHENNAI: The fourth World Siddha Day was observed in the city on Saturday. As recommended by the AYUSH Ministry, the celebrations were themed ‘Siddha for Covid’. According to a statement, the events were jointly organised by the Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS), National Institute of Siddha (NIS) and Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy, through virtual-conference.
Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik commended the ministry’s efforts in issuing advisories concerning public health, constituting an interdisciplinary task force, and launching the AYUSH Sanjivani app for prevention and management of Covid. “A large-scale population study has shown that Kabasura Kudineer helped significantly to tackle the contagion.
It was an effective prophylactic, as it prevented infection mainly among primary contacts of patients,” Naik said. AYUSH Ministry secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha highlighted the research efforts of Central Council for Research in Siddha and NIS for validating Siddha medicines and effectively documenting them. He also explained the progress of the research studies and the medicines’ effectiveness in reducing disease severity, hospital stay and improved quality of life post Covid illness.
Ministry Additional Secretary Pramod Kumar Pathak, Principal Secretary - Department of Health and Family Welfare Dr J Radhakrishnan and Director of Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy S Ganesh also attended the function.