SC issues notice to Centre over homeopathic immune booster guidelines
Mar 14, 2022
New Delhi [India], March 14 : The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to Centre on a plea challenging the Ayush Ministry's Advisories and Guidelines which empowered the State Government in the prescription of Arsenic Album 30 as a homeopathic immune booster.
A bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Aniruddha Bose asked Centre and others to file a reply on the petition filed by a group of doctors and science communicators.
Senior Advocate Anand Grover and advocate on record Prashant Padmanabhan, appeared for the Petitioner Cyriac Abby Philips and others.
The petitioner has sought to declare the Guidelines, Advisories and Fact Sheets issued by the Respondents, to permit the administration of homeopathic medicine Arsenic Album 30 as a Covid 19 prophylactic are in violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India.
The petition has also sought interim order on interim restraining the Respondents from in any manner administering the homeopathic medicine, Arsenicum Album 30, for "boosting of immunity" or in a mass manner to any section of the population, particularly the children.
In their petition, the Petitioners have sought for an appropriate direction prohibiting the Governments from in any manner administering the homeopathic medicine, Arsenic Album 30 or any other homeopathic medicines, in mass manner to any section of the population, particularly the children and the elderly, over 65 years of age.
A recent Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Feasibility Study, done by researchers from Mumbai and USA, published in the journal Homeopathy in September 2021, Evaluating the Efficacy of Homeopathic Medicine Arsenicum Album 30C in the Prevention of COVID-19 in a Quarantined Population of close to 2300 persons did not show benefits, usefulness or effectiveness of the said Homeopathic drug in preventing Covid-19, the petition said.
Petitioners have pointed out the position in countries like Australia, US, UK and France and annexed various peer-reviewed scientific studies and research articles to buttress their point.
The petition has urged the court to issue an appropriate writ order or direction calling for the records of the case and after going through the same quash and set aside the order of the Kerala Government dated 18.11.2021.
The petition has sought an appropriate writ order or direction prohibiting the Respondents from in any manner administering the homeopathic medicine, arsenic album 30 or any other homeopathic medicines, in mass manner to any section of the population, particularly the children and the elderly, over 65 years of age.
The petitioner has earlier challenged the distribution of Arsenicum Album 30CH before the High Court of Kerala raising the contention that administering even one dose of this can have serious, irreversible, irreparable harm to children as detailed therein. The Kerala High Court by its Order dated 22.10.2021 dispose of the writ petition by giving liberty to the Petitioner to submit a representation to the Government. Accordingly, the Petitioner has already submitted the representation.
