Herbal drinks were given to fever patients in Srirangam Government Hospital on Wednesday, following the State government’s latest efforts to combat dengue by distributing Siddha preparations at all government hospitals in the State.
Three herbal drinks, nila vembu kudineer, papaya leaf juice, and malai vembu juice, will be given to patients with fever and symptoms of dengue at all government hospitals and primary health care centres.
The health department has recommended a daily intake of 10 millimetre thrice a day. The herbal drinks not only help to keep fever under control but act as an immunity booster. While papaya leaf juice is said to increase platelet count, malai vembu boosts immunity.
According the T.Selvaraj, Joint Director, Department of Health Services, the treatment will only supplement and not replace allopathic treatment. As all medicines are derived from plants and herbs, the herbal drinks will not interfere with conventional treatment or produce any side effects, he added. Depending on availability, any of the three suggested herbal drinks will be given to patients.
Around 250 kilograms of nilavembu preparation have been sent out to hospitals in Ariyalur, Perambalur, Karur and Tiruchi, according to T.Srinivasan, district Siddha medical officer. The powder can be mixed with drinking water. Welcoming the move, Dr. Kamaraj of the Siddha division at ESI Hospital said the hospital had been distributing the juice to all inpatients and outpatients since the onset of dengue and had reported less than five dengue positive cases. Collector Jayashree Muralidharan kicked off the initiative by handing out herbal drinks at Srirangam GH.
