‘Herbal medicine’: milling crowds cause stampede

SPSR Nellore District Collector K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu has ordered suspension of the distribution of a natural 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, these eager for a treatment for the viral illness and their kin made a beeline to Krishnapatnam on Friday getting a sign on the social media concerning the preparations being made for the distribution of the ayurvedic preparation by volunteers there, as and when the ayurvedic preparation will get a nod from the authorities involved, leading to a stampede.

Meanwhile, specialists from ICMR reached Krishnapatnam, accompanied by Joint Collector M.N. Harendira Prasad, to check the efficacy of the natural preparation in treating the dreaded illness.

Taking notice of the “Krishnapatnam medicine” gaining recognition, Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, who hails from the district, requested Union Minister for AYUSH Kiren Rijiju and ICMR Director-General Balram Bhargava to conduct a examine on the natural preparation.

Throwing to winds COVID applicable behaviour, individuals from throughout the State as additionally from neighbouring States poured into Krishnapatnam, about 25 km from the town, to get at the very least just a few packets of the natural preparation distributed freed from price at a time when allopathic medicine for the illness, together with Remdesivir, have been allegedly black-marketed resulting in a stampede.

Police had a troublesome time in restoring order as about 35,000 individuals from far and close to swarmed Krishnapatnam. Mr. Anandaiah had skilled a lot of volunteers in every family to make the preparation from domestically accessible herbs with the information handed on to him by his forefathers.

Barricades arrange

Nellore Rural police erected barricades on a number of locations on the Chennai-Kolkata freeway to forestall individuals, together with these contaminated with coronavirus, thronging the village. People ran helter-skelter and jostled with one another to get some packets of the ayurvedic preparation distributed by the volunteers earlier than the shares acquired exhausted.

“’We intervened and restored order by dispersing the crowd,” mentioned Nellore Rural Deputy Superintendent of Police Y. Harinath Reddy, overseeing the beefed up safety at Krishnapatnam.

The Collector, in an announcement, mentioned: “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 officers rushed to the spot to seek out out extra. Samples of the method and components have been despatched to a lab in Hyderabad for evaluation.

The ICMR has been roped into for investigation. Depending on the findings, the person is free to method the related authorities to acquire permissions by means of pre-established procedures. No provide or distribution could be allowed till then, the Collector made it clear.