ICMR to evaluate Ayurvedic prep

Nellore: After day-long chaotic scenes following the announcement of distribution of a preparation which is claimed to be a cure for the dreaded coronavirus, the ICMR has been asked to validate the efficacy of the preparation developed by a local practitioner B Anandaiah.

Distribution of the preparation was stopped a couple of days ago and again started at Krishnapatnam on Friday with the active involvement of Sarvepalli legislator Kakani Govardhan Reddy.

As soon as the legislator announced the distribution of preparation on Thursday, thousands of people both affected by corona and others, started pouring in at the place leading to a chaotic situation. Some corona patients even came in ambulances with oxygen suuport.

Taking note of the development, the district administration formed a committee consisting of officials and AYUSH doctors to evaluate the efficacy of the concoction. Nellore Collector KVN Chakradhar Babu had said that the committee did not come across any adverse affects among the people who took the medicine. Some samples have been sent for testing to a laboratory in Hyderabad and the results are awaited.

The District Collector wrote a letter to the Lokayukta explaining the situation in the district and about the details of the Ayurvedic preparation based on the report of the panel.

The medical preparation was enough for only around 5,000 persons and there were around 40,000-50,000 people waiting for it at Krishnapatnam. Police personnel resorted to slight lathi-charge to disperse the gathered people.

Further, as per the suggestion of the AYUSH medical team, organizers have distributed only oral medicine on Friday and skipped the eye drops that are likely to create any damage to the eyes of the users in the long run.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu also spoke to ICMR officials and asked them to send a team and get the efficacy of the medicine evaluated. The team has reached Krishnapatnam on Friday evening. They will collect the samples and will submit a report to the government.

The MLA later in the evening said that in view of the situation witnessed on Friday, distribution point for the medicine would be shifted to other places as local people are expressing fears that they may get afflicted by virus due to huge crowds of infected persons and their attendants.

Ayurvedic preparation maker Bonigi Anandaiah said that they are preparing the medicine with natural ingredients and no harmful substances have been included.

He explained that they are preparing and distributing the medicine in three categories. One for preventing the virus, another for the infected with mild symptoms, and the third one is for infected persons on oxygen support, he said. The medicine gives a permanent solution and chances for a speedy recovery from the infection, he added.