Amid a shortage of Covid-19 vaccines and high-end medicines like Remdesivir and the fleecing by private hospitals, thousands in Andhra Pradesh are seeking an alternative, folk medicine remedy for the deadly coronavirus.
Krishnapatnam village near Nellore, which is otherwise known for its sea-port, is nowadays thronged by many, especially from the neighbouring regions and some reportedly from Telangana and other states, for a spoonful of a “miracle Covid-19 medicine,” being distributed for free.
The concoction made by a local “Ayurveda” practitioner Borigi Anandaiah, from some herbs and regular household ingredients like black pepper, cumin, honey, turmeric, neem, camphor is said to be preventing Covid-19, and also curing the infection in patients providing better relief than the allopathy treatment.
Anandaiah, who previously served as the village sarpanch, says he has been offering the Covid-19 cure for about a month now and that the stream of seekers has gone up from a trickle to thousands now.
The melee over the past few days for free sachets of the medicine has prompted the AP Lokayukta to initiate a probe.
A committee formed by the Nellore district collector comprising revenue, health officials and Ayurveda experts, visited the village earlier this week and found that Anandaiah, with help of aides, was preparing four different pastes with varied ingredients for consumption by Covid-19 positive, negative individuals and both and also eye-drops meant for those with low oxygen levels.
Meat consumption is prohibited for the users, who have to take the medicine for two-three days. Anandaiah says that his medicine is not meant for pregnant and menstruating women.
In their report, the committee noted that Anandaiah is not a qualified Ayurveda professional, who gained the folk medicine knowledge from his gurus, and that his formula is not confirming with standard recipes. Preparation methods, dosages prescribed are stated as sub-standard.
“We opine that the formulation is not suitable for Covid-19 treatment. It is harmless but also useless,” Dr Ganta Gangadharam, Nellore district Ayurveda Medical Officer and committee member told DH.
The samples were sent to the Ayurveda labs in Vijayawada to scientifically test for any Covid-19 curative properties.
However, the Krishnapatnam medicine has drawn a lot of attention in the two Telugu states, especially on social media with several posts supportive of Anandaiah's “philanthropic” preparation.
In one such video post, a retired headmaster said that he came to Krishnapatnam, after being admitted to a hospital for a week, made to pay hefty bills and then told to go to a better facility. “Here, they have put some drops in my eyes and within two minutes I was feeling alright.”
The man said he needed oxygen support before.
While admitting that no one has complained of any adverse effect, the probe committee stated that they too interacted with a patient whose O2 levels went up from 83 to 95 after he was administered the eye drops.
Doctors are of opinion that the relief felt by the patients could be psychological, a placebo effect.
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The committee said that the ingredients in the eye drops could be harmful to eyesight in the long run.
Ayurveda experts on the committee, however, opined that the medicine might be allowed for a fair clinical trial in Covid-19 quarantines, care centres for 2-3 weeks, without other forms of medicines given at the same time.
Regardless of the scientific basis, the Krishnapatnam medicine is receiving public endorsement and political support including that of TDP, Left leaders.
“At a time when the Covid-19 treatment methods are being constantly revised by WHO, ICMR, what is the harm in trying a formulation made of ordinary herbs. About 70,000 people took the medicine till now and are all fine,” said Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, a former TDP minister from Nellore.
Though officials are sceptical about allowing the large public gathering, worried about the medicine dispersion becoming a super spreader event, the distribution, suspended following the collector orders, resumed for a few hours on Friday under the monitoring of the local YSRCP MLA Kakani Govardhan Reddy.
Meanwhile, CMO officials told DH that Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy has directed health officials to gather scientific evidence about the Krishnapatnam cure in coordination with Ayush, ICMR etc central government bodies.