Falling on the ancient system of Ayurveda, a Covid-19 care centre has been set up inside a gaushala in Gujarat, to tackle the growing cases of the pandemic
Located in Tetoda village in Banaskantha district of Gujarat the centre is called Vedalakshana Panchgavya Ayurved Covid Isolation Centre. Apart from allopathy, patients in the centre are treated using Ayurvedic medicines .
In an article in India Today, the Director of the Centre, Ramratan Maharaj, said that they were using Panchgavya ayurvedic therapy to treat Covid patients. The patients are given medicines made of cow urine, ghee and cow milk. They are also given food grain grown with manure made of cow dung.
Talking to Indian Express, Mohan Jadhav, a trustee of Banaskantha wing of Godham Mahatirth Pathmeda said, “We had started this centre on May 5. Here we are giving treatment to mild Covid-19 patients using eight Ayurvedic medicines prepared from cow milk, ghee and urine. These patients had come with Covid-19 positive reports from the pathological laboratory.”
The centre has been set up Rajaram Gaushala Ashram which is a branch of Pathmeda where Coronavirus patients are given treatment free of cost.
Elaborating further, Jadhav said: “We are primarily using Panchgavya Ayurved therapy to treat patients having Covid-19 symptoms. We use “gau tirth” which is made from urine of “desi” cows and other herbs. Then there is a treatment for cough and here to we use cow urine based medicine. We also have an immunity booster ‘chawanprash’ which is made from cow milk.”
The centre also admits patients whose oxygen saturation level has fallen to 80 on a priority basis as it has the provision for medical oxygen. The medical tests of the patients are all done at the Government hospital.
The staff at this isolation centre includes two Ayurvedic doctors from pathmeda gaushala who prescribe the medicines, while it also provides allopathic medicines for patients who need it. “We also have two MBBS doctors who administer allopathic medicines to anyone who would need it,” said Jadhav.
The centre believes that combining Ayurvedic treatment with allopathy as well as consuming organic foods like cow milk, could help patients fighting Covid-19.
To ensure that the place remains cool, grass has been planted around the centre.
There are 5,000 cows at the gaushala of which 90 produce milk while the Centre has 50 beds of which 40 are presently occupied.
The District Collector, Banaskantha speaking to Indiain Express said: “Though no permission is required for setting up a covid care centre, they had informed us and we had permitted them. This centre at Tetoda village is within a gaushala.”
Patel further added that asymptomatic Covid-19 patients needed to be isolated from their families in villages and so such Covid care centres have been created. “From last seven days we are working on this model. In rural areas, people do not have separate facilities for home isolation and we are trying to prevent family bunching of Covid patients.”
Describing this set-up as a useful support system for those who have mild Covid-19 symptoms,, Dr Rakesh Joshi, Assistant Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, added that the Ayurvedic treatment provided there cannot replace allopathic treatment in Covid cases, and definitely not in severe ones when the oxygen saturation level is low.
Dr Talguni Parekh, a dietician said isolation could help those patients who have been advised home isolation as they would get organic food and good quality milk. However, she too warned that severe cases should only be treated by a doctor and not at such centres.
