HC Closes PIL Seeking Direction to TN Government to Give Emergency Integrated Medicines against COVID-19

The Madras High Court on Saturday closed a PIL seeking a direction to the Tamil Nadu government to appoint a committee for providing emergency integrated medicines against COVID-19 within a timeframe fixed by the Court.

The division bench, comprising Justices M Sathyanarayanan and M Nirmal Kumar gave the direction on a petition by social

activist "Traffic' Ramaswamy.

It observed that Ramaswamy was also becoming an expert in the medical field, apart from the honorary doctorate he has.

"This court lacks expertise in the relevant medical field and as such, the positive direction sought for by the petitioner cannot be issued," the court said.

Ramaswamy, among the other things, had sought a direction to appoint a Committee to provide emergency integrated medicines by inviting health practitioners to join hands with the State in the fight against coronavirus.

Additional Advocate General Narmada Sampath had drawn the attention of the bench to the April 23 Government Order of the

Health and Family Welfare Department.

The G.O said that to explore the feasibility of using the Indian system of medicines, the state government had through its April 15 order, constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the Director of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy.

The Union government had also issued guidelines for using Indian system of medicines used for similar illnesses, to be used as a general immunity booster and accordingly formulated a scheme "Aarokyam", a special programme with AYUSH interventions for COVID-19 for immune enhancement.

She further submitted that convulsions and the Annexures to G.O had also given a detailed enumeration as to the adoption and put in use of the Indian System of Medicine.

The bench, after hearing the submissions, said that in the light of the Govrenment Order, the court was of the considered view that no further orders are necessary in this writ petition.

That apart, the prayer sought for by the petitioner was an omnibus one which falls within the domain of the concerned expert, the court said.