On Monday evening, the internet was graced by Karnataka Principal Secretary for Health and Family Welfare, Shalini Rajneesh’s take on the “cure for dengue”.
“Remedy for Dengue fever – Share to spread the awareness,” her post reads.
The rest of the post, which is written in Kannada states, “It is easy to use with no side effects and is available everywhere. There’s nothing to lose. Those who are affected by dengue, should consume jaggery along with raw shallots for cure. This medicine helps increase platelet count in dengue patients. It is truly an effective medicine.”
Angered by the Principal Secretary’s post, President of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations, Narendra Nayak, slammed her “remedy” and said that Rajneesh’s status was a “danger to citizens of India”.
“Is this cure endorsed by the health department and administered as treatment in government hospitals? If this really works and there is evidence for the same, then it should be used as the standard protocol for all dengue patients. If it is not so, then she should retract and give a statement to that effect,” Nayak said, in an email to journalists.
IAS Officer Shalini’s post has not only angered rationalists but also a few doctors in the state.
Dr Srinivas Kakkilaya, a consulting Physician, said that Shalini Rajneesh “is totally confused and creating problems for those who may be infected by dengue”.
Stating that Ayurveda “does not have the word virus or vector-borne disease in its books and has no treatment for any viral infection”, Dr Kakkilaya questioned Ayush’s prescription for dengue treatment.
“If you look at IAS officer Shalini Rajneesh’s Facebook page, above the ridiculous post about onions and jaggery curing dengue, there is another post in which she is promoting Ayush, the Karnataka government’s agency which promotes Ayurveda,” he said.
According to Dr Kakkilaya, the government of Karnataka has to take measures to prevent mosquito breeding to tackle dengue.
“In urban areas, the Aedes mosquito breeds in construction sites and pools of water formed from domestic waste and water thrown out. However, in rural areas, it breeds in areas where water logging happens in agricultural fields and rubber plantations. The government must identify such spots and prevent their breeding,” he said.
Dr Kakkilaya said that if persons are experiencing high fever, rashes on the fore arms or legs, dizziness and bleeding in the gums, they must approach the nearest hospital as they are symptoms of dengue.
“People must visit the nearest PHC and get tested. If it is a positive case, then they must approach a consulting physician and get admitted in the hospital immediately. The onions and jaggery won’t work,” Dr Kakkilaya added.
(This was first published in The News Minute and has been republished with permission.)
After TNM published the story, the Ayush ministry on Tuesday issued a statement saying that the home remedies are not to be used, as The New Indian Express reported.
The statement further reads, “In an attempt to spread information about the utility of simple add-on therapies like decoction of amruta balli, papaya leaves and onion, material pertaining to prevention and adjuvant therapy is being circulated. The ingredients are commonly available, cost effective and generally, would not cause an untoward reaction in the body.”
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