For naysayers of nilavembu’ s utility in boosting immunity against dengue, the government is willing to share the research papers that vouch for its benefits, Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan said here here on Thursday.
Addressing the media after inspecting the Dharmapuri Government headquarters medical college hospital here, Dr. Radhakrishnan responded to actor Kamal Hassan’s aspersions on the efficacy of nilavembu as a line of treatment for dengue.
Over 40 people have died of dengue according to official estimate, and over 80 people have died of various other fevers in the State, Dr. Radhakrishnan said. In Dharmapuri, there were 572 fever cases, out of which 255 persons were treated as in-patients. Among them, 24 cases were symptomatic of dengue.
According to Dr. Radhakrishnan, nilavembu has been used in various nations including Scandinavian countries under different names to boost immunity. There are over 40 research papers that vouch for the effectiveness of using nilavembu to boost immunity. In addition, the King’s Institute and the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, had released their findings. At the same time, allopathic treatment is in alignment with the WHO protocol and both are being administered simultaneously, he said.
“We are willing to share these research findings to all concerned,” Dr. Radhakrishnan said. Casting aspersions and confusing people on the utility of nilavembu may affect their chances of boosting immunity against fever, he added.
