A Covid care centre has been set up within a “gaushala” at Tetoda village of Banaskantha district of North Gujarat where Covid-19 patients are being treated using Ayurvedic medicines made from cow milk and urine as well as allopathy.
Called the “Vedalakshana Panchgavya Ayurved Covid isolation centre”, it is currently treating seven Covid-19 patients from the village in Deesa taluka. “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,” said Mohan Jadhav, a trustee of Banaskantha wing of Godham Mahatirth Pathmeda. The centre has been set up Rajaram Gaushala Ashram which is a branch of Pathmeda.
“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,” he said.
The isolation centre has two Ayurvedic doctors from pathmeda gaushala who prescribe the medicines. The centre 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,” Jadhav said.
The patients are given treatment free of cost.
Earlier this month, Gujarat government has permitted local villages to set up Covid care centres for isolating and treating villagers with Covid-19 symptoms.
Over 10,320 Covid care centres having 1.2 lakh beds have already been set up across the state. Only primary treatment will be administered at these centres. The highest number of such Covid-19 centres are in Banaskantha where 897 centre with 6,400 beds have been set up.
Anand Patel, District Collector of Banaskantha told The Sunday Express, “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 said 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,” he added.
The official said Tetoda village also has a couple of oxygen cylinders to help shift any patients to a hospital if need arises.❐
