After recommending Ayurveda intervention in the fight against H1N1 virus some time ago, the Centre has now suggested use of homoeopathy medicine for the treatment of swine flu.

At the instance of the Department of Ayush, the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) had convened a meeting of a group of experts chaired by Dr Diwan Harish Chand, vice president of the governing body of the council to suggest ways and means of prevention through homoeopathy.

"The experts' group inter-alia has recommended that homoeopathy medicine Arsenicum album could be taken as prophylactic medicine against flu like illnesses. It has recommended one doze of Arsenicum album 30, daily in empty stomach for three days. The dose should be repeated after one month by following the same schedule in case flu like conditions prevail in the area. The group has further suggested that general hygienic measures suggested by the ministry of health for prevention of the disease should also be followed by the public," according to an official release.

Some time back, the government had recommended the use of ayurvedic and unani drugs to increase the immunity to fight various flu like conditions, based on the expert opinion. It was suggested that ayurvedic and unani interventions could be used by normal healthy persons as well as those who had mild cold, cough, body pain etc.

The department of Ayush set up a group of experts for suggesting Ayush interventions which are useful in the prevention / treatment of flu like disease. The group comprising of Ayurveda experts/physicians from government hospitals, private sector as well from research councils and the department of Ayush was of the view that viral epidemics come under the "Vaata Kaphaja Jwara" category mentioned in Charak Samhita and other ancient ayurvedic texts.