23 Tamil Nadu Prisoners Recover From Covid-19 Through Siddha Treatment, State Government Will Now Allow Patients To Choose Any Medical System

An experiment to treat 25 prisoners at the Puzhal Central Prison in suburban Chennai, who tested positive for novel coronavirus (Covid-19) through the Siddha medicine system has yielded positive results.

Tamil daily Dinamalar reported that 23 of the 25 prisoners have been cured of Covid-19 after being treated with Siddha medicines, while the other two are on their way to recovery.

The daily quoted a nodal officer for tackling coronavirus situation in Chennai, J Radhakrishnan, who was today (12 June) made Tamil Nadu Health Secretary, as saying that the results of those treated with Siddha medicine were encouraging and it would be left to patients to decide what treatment they would prefer.

Tamil Nadu government gave doctors the go-ahead to treat the prisoners with Siddha medicines, a traditional method that originated in the state, as part of its strategy to contain the spread of the pandemic virus.

Covid-19 patients in some parts of the state had earlier been given Siddha medicines along with allopathic drugs. As these patients recovered and the treatment was found effective, the state decided to separately test the efficacy of Siddha medicines.

A team was set up for this with state director — Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy — S Ganesh, National Institute of Siddha director R Meena Kumari, Siddha specialist doctors Jayaprakash Narayanan, K Veerababu besides others.

The committee is now seriously involved in treating Covid-19 patients with Siddha medicines. About 100 patients are undergoing treatment now for coronavirus with the Greater Chennai Corporation coordinating the efforts.

A medical team headed by Veerababu treated the prisoners. The 25 prisoners were given a decoction of 15 herbs called Kabasura Neer, a Siddha formulation officially allowed by the Tamil Nadu government, herbal tea, and sunbath for a week.

Tests carried out a week after treatment revealed that 23 of the prisoners had been cured of coronavirus, while two others showed good signs of recovery.

Covid-19 patients are being given the homoeopathic treatment too, he said, adding that special attention was being paid to check the spread of the pandemic virus.

So far, Tamil Nadu has reported 38,716 coronavirus positive cases with 349 deaths. Of these, Chennai alone accounts for 27,398 cases with 275 deaths.

Tamil Nadu is following in the footsteps of Kerala, which has used ayurvedic medicines to treat Covid-19 patients as part of its integrated treatment protocol.

Gujarat has also given ayurvedic medicines to coronavirus patients besides homoeopathic pills.

Tamil Nadu's efforts have been boosted by a television journalist saying that he had recovered from the pandemic virus attack with the help of Siddha medicine.