Siddha medicines to tackle chikungunya

Chennai:The State government has decided to distribute two Siddha preparations through its primary health centres in border districts to prevent the viral infection chikungunya, said Health Minister KKSSR Ramachandran on Saturday.The decision comes following successful experiments in two villages in Kanyakumari, where the villagers were given the medicines as a preventive measure after reports that some people in other neighbouring villages had contracted the disease, the Minister told reporters. Over 24,000 people were afflicted with the disease last June, when the disease was at its peak in the State, he said.

Earlier, C.N. Deivanayagam, chairman, Scientific Advisory committee (siddha) held a discussion with M. Naganathan, vice chairman, State Planning Commission, Mr. Ramachandran and Health department officials.Dr. Deivanayagm said Santhigiri Siddha Medical College in Kanyakumari had provided the medicines — Amukura (botanical name: Withania Somnifera) and Nilavembu (Andrographis Paniculata) – to the villagers as a preventive measure for seven days.Those who had been afflicted with chikungunya were given the medicines for 10 days as curative therapy. The medicines have no side effects, he said.

In two days, they will be distributed to all government hospitals, including primary health centres in Coimbatore, Theni, Tirunelveli, Dindigul, Dharmapuri, Kanyakumari, the Nilgiris, Virudhunagar, and Chennai. Chennai district had been included as it is a transit route for visitors from Karnataka and Kerala.According to the Health department officials, the per person cost of medicines is Rs. 40 for the entire treatment.“We have enough stock at Tamil Nadu Medicinal Plant Corporation. If there is a shortfall, we will buy from the Indian Medical Practitioners Cooperative Pharmacy and Stores and other private companies,” he said.