WHO Says It Hasn’t Certified ‘Coronil’ For COVID Treatment

Yoga guru Ramdev has landed in yet another controversy. This time over claims of certification on Coronil which he claims is an immunity booster against COVID-19 and is recognised by the World Health Organisation's Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

The World Health Organization (WHO) has clarified in a tweet that it has not reviewed or certified "any traditional medicine" for the treatment of COVID-19.

 "@WHO has not reviewed or certified the effectiveness of any traditional medicine for the treatment #COVID19," WHO South-East Asia tweeted.

.@WHO has not reviewed or certified the effectiveness of any traditional medicine for the treatment #COVID19.

— WHO South-East Asia (@WHOSEARO) February 19, 2021

The launch event of Coronil was held on Friday where Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari were also in attendance. The Patanjali product was billed by the company as the "first evidence-based medicine for COVID-19".

"Coronil has received the Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (CoPP) from the Ayush section of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation as per the WHO certification scheme," Patanjali said in a statement.

Additionally, one of the top executives at Patanjali Ayurved, Rakesh Mittal, had doubled down on the claim that Coronil has been "recognised by WHO".

"Patanjali has made history in the field of Ayurveda as Coronil has been recognized by WHO as First Evidence Based Medicine for Corona," Mittal had tweeted which he deleted soon after.

Meanwhile, the opposition has attacked the centre citing WHO's clarification.

"I hope our Health Minister stops embarrassing the nation with such claims to promote Coronil. I strongly believe in Ayurveda but to claim it as a WHO guaranteed cure against COVID and endorse it, is nothing but cheating as well as misleading the nation," Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted.

I hope our Health Minister stops embarrassing the nation with such claims to promote Coronil.
I strongly believe in Ayurveda but to claim it as a WHO guaranteed cure against COVID &endorse it, is nothing but cheating as well as misleading the nation. https://t.co/keneIA0pyM

— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) February 21, 2021

Back in July 2020, Patanjali Ayurved had claimed Coronil could provide strong protection against the coronavirus. Later, the AYUSH Ministry in statement said Coronil can be sold only as an immunity-booster and not as a cure.