SPSR Nellore District Collector K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu has ordered suspension of the distribution of a herbal preparation by one B. Anandaiah in Krishnapatnam touted as “miracle cure” for COVID-19 pending approval by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Despite this, those longing for a cure for the viral disease and their relatives made a beeline to Krishnapatnam on Friday getting an indication on the social media about the arrangements being made for the distribution of the ayurvedic preparation by volunteers there, as and when the ayurvedic preparation gets a nod from the authorities concerned, resulting in a stampede.
Meanwhile, experts from ICMR reached Krishnapatnam, accompanied by Joint Collector M.N. Harendira Prasad, to study the efficacy of the herbal preparation in treating the dreaded disease.
Taking note of the “Krishnapatnam medicine” gaining popularity, Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, who hails from the district, asked Union Minister for AYUSH Kiren Rijiju and ICMR Director-General Balram Bhargava to conduct a study on the herbal preparation.
Throwing to winds COVID appropriate behaviour, people from across the State as also from neighbouring States poured into Krishnapatnam, about 25 km from the city, to get at least a few packets of the herbal preparation distributed free of cost at a time when allopathic drugs for the disease, including Remdesivir, were allegedly black-marketed leading to a stampede.
Police had a tough time in restoring order as about 35,000 people from far and near swarmed Krishnapatnam. Mr. Anandaiah had trained a large number of volunteers in each and every household to make the preparation from locally available herbs with the knowledge passed on to him by his forefathers.
Barricades set up
Nellore Rural police erected barricades on several places on the Chennai-Kolkata highway to prevent people, including those infected with coronavirus, thronging the village. People ran helter-skelter and jostled with each other to get some packets of the ayurvedic preparation distributed by the volunteers before the stocks got exhausted.
“'We intervened and restored order by dispersing the crowd,” said Nellore Rural Deputy Superintendent of Police Y. Harinath Reddy, overseeing the beefed up security at Krishnapatnam.
The Collector, in a statement, said: “As soon as we found out that an individual was distributing herbal or ayurvedic medicine and that COVID-19 norms are being flouted, the district administration immediately intervened, stopped the distribution and enforced all COVID-19 protocols.”
Similarly, the DMHO, AYUSH officials rushed to the spot to find out more. Samples of the formula and ingredients were sent to a lab in Hyderabad for analysis.
The ICMR has been roped into for investigation. Depending on the findings, the individual is free to approach the relevant authorities to obtain permissions through pre-established procedures. No supply or distribution would be allowed until then, the Collector made it clear.
