Siddha medicine can cure chikungunya: Minister

Chennai, June 30 (UNI) Siddha, the popular Indian system of medicine, has a cure for the dreaded chikungunya, Tamil Nadu Health Minister K K S S R Ramachandran said today.

Talking to newspersons after addressing a programme on 'Siddha treatment for chikungunya' here, he said 'Nila Vembu', a medicinal plant and 'Amukkra Sooranam' were effective in preventing the disease.

In the absence of any effective allopathic medicine, more than 20,000 patients were treated for chikungunya last year through Siddha medicine and they had recovered within five days, he said.

He said as Siddha proved to be effective for treating patients hit by chikungunya, caused by the Aides mosquito bite, the state government would organise awareness programmes about the efficacy of the Indian medicine.

The disease was widespread in the neighbouring Kerala and threatening to make a re-entry into Tamil Nadu. However, this year, no one was affected by chikungunya, Mr Ramachandran said adding the government, would, however, take all necessary measures to prevent the disease entering the state.

In the first phase, government would ensure that the Siddha medicines were available in government hospitals in Chennai, Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Theni, The Nilgiris, Tirunelveli and Virudhunagar, he said.

UNI