Baba Ramdev
of Patanjali Ayurved, the consumer goods company whose self-proclaimed COVID-19
medicine, Coronil, had run into trouble with the Ayush ministry earlier, on
Thursday released a research paper on the “first evidence-based medicine
for Covid-19” by his organisation. And doing the honours were two union
ministers — Harshvardhan and Nitin Gadkari.

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At the
release of the documents, Ramdev highlighted the certification Coronil has received
from the World Health Organistion (WHO), and said that the research paper is a
reply to those who questioned the medicine earlier.

In July,
2020, the AYUSH Ministry
said that the company can market the drug only as an
immunity booster and not as a cure for COVID-19. Ramdev, meanwhile, said that
some people were hurt by the rise of an indigenous medicine and were trying to
play down its efficacy.

During the
launch of the research paper, Ramdev said that his organisation aims to promote
ancient Indian medicinal sciences and fulfill India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’
vision in healthcare.

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He also said that while modern medicines helped curb the
coronavirus cases in India, which has among the highest recovery rates and the
lowest fatality rates, India’s ayurvedic sciences should get the credit, according to a report in the Hindustan Times.

“Patanjali
Research Institute’s scientific research and success on the first evidence
based corona medicine will benefit 158 countries of the world,” Patanjali Dairy
said in a tweet.

Meanwhile,
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that while modern scientific tools are
needed to promote the importance of Ayurveda on a global stage. He also
highlighted Patanjali’s growth under Ramdev’s management and its contribution
to the economy.

“Ayurveda
has Rs 30,000 crore economy in India. As per official data, it used to see a
growth of 15-20% every year pre-COVID. Post-COVID, this growth rate has risen
to 50-90%. It’s an indication that people have accepted it. There’s marked
improvement in exports and FDI,” he said.