Natives import flu fear
Hrusikesh Mohanty, TNN 22 August 2009, 11:09pm IST
BERHAMPUR: Panic is spreading fast in Ganjam with several persons returning home to the district from places like Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai
with suspected swine flu symptoms.
Thirty-two-year-old Prafulla Chandra Bisoi, a resident of Kumarapari village under Beguniapada block, who was working as a labour contractor in Chennai, recently returned home with high fever. He was initially treated at the hospital at Balugaon. Doctors referred him to MKCG Medical College and Hospital, where he was admitted on Friday evening. "We will send the patient's swabs and blood samples for test," superintendent of the medical college J P Behera said.
Under such conditions, pharmacies and medical stores are making hay. People's fears have driven them to trust anyone who claims to have a "cure or preventive medication" to combat the H1N1 virus. There is a mad rush at homeopathy and herbal medicine stores, where such "medicines" are selling like hot cakes. "An average of 500 bottles of this drug is being sold every day for the past one week," said a homeopathy drug store owner.
Homeopathy doctors claimed that the disease can be prevented by increasing the immunity of the body. "We have preventive medicines. There is no need to panic,' retired principal of the Biju Patnaik government homeopathic college AP Sarangi said. Sarangi, who is now a homeopathy practitioner, claimed a number of people were coming to him to take preventive medicines.
Several panic-stricken people are also opting for the herbal alternative to prevent an HINI attack. An advertisement published by a Mumbai-based firm claimed to have come up with a herbal medicine that is capable of preventing swine flu. But ayurvedic doctors claimed ignorance of its ingredients. But they maintained that the disease can be prevented by systematic intake of some commonly sold herbs like neem and tulsi. "One should chew at least seven leaves of tulsi after bath or drink lemon water on empty stomach at least twice a day as a preventive measure," Ananta Tripathy Sharma government ayurvedic college principal Ramkrushna Panigrahi said. "The *ala* soup is also a good option to keep germs at bay," he added. Tulsi, ala soup and lemon water are good anti-viral potions, high on vitamin C, which can increase the immunity power of the body," the college principal said.
Hrusikesh Mohanty, TNN 22 August 2009, 11:09pm IST
BERHAMPUR: Panic is spreading fast in Ganjam with several persons returning home to the district from places like Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai
with suspected swine flu symptoms.
Thirty-two-year-old Prafulla Chandra Bisoi, a resident of Kumarapari village under Beguniapada block, who was working as a labour contractor in Chennai, recently returned home with high fever. He was initially treated at the hospital at Balugaon. Doctors referred him to MKCG Medical College and Hospital, where he was admitted on Friday evening. "We will send the patient's swabs and blood samples for test," superintendent of the medical college J P Behera said.
Under such conditions, pharmacies and medical stores are making hay. People's fears have driven them to trust anyone who claims to have a "cure or preventive medication" to combat the H1N1 virus. There is a mad rush at homeopathy and herbal medicine stores, where such "medicines" are selling like hot cakes. "An average of 500 bottles of this drug is being sold every day for the past one week," said a homeopathy drug store owner.
Homeopathy doctors claimed that the disease can be prevented by increasing the immunity of the body. "We have preventive medicines. There is no need to panic,' retired principal of the Biju Patnaik government homeopathic college AP Sarangi said. Sarangi, who is now a homeopathy practitioner, claimed a number of people were coming to him to take preventive medicines.
Several panic-stricken people are also opting for the herbal alternative to prevent an HINI attack. An advertisement published by a Mumbai-based firm claimed to have come up with a herbal medicine that is capable of preventing swine flu. But ayurvedic doctors claimed ignorance of its ingredients. But they maintained that the disease can be prevented by systematic intake of some commonly sold herbs like neem and tulsi. "One should chew at least seven leaves of tulsi after bath or drink lemon water on empty stomach at least twice a day as a preventive measure," Ananta Tripathy Sharma government ayurvedic college principal Ramkrushna Panigrahi said. "The *ala* soup is also a good option to keep germs at bay," he added. Tulsi, ala soup and lemon water are good anti-viral potions, high on vitamin C, which can increase the immunity power of the body," the college principal said.
