Ayurvedic Research & Training Trust seeks Kerala Govt. nod to treat people exposed to endosulfan
Publication: Pharmabiz
Date: 6th March 2010
Website: http://www.pharmabiz.com
URL: http://www.pharmabiz.com/article/detnews.asp?articleid=54390§ionid=1
Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai
After a long period’s trial and testing, the International Foundation for Ayurvedic Research and Training Trust based at Kaladi in Eranakulam district in Kerala has approached the state health ministry for an official nod to diagnose, treat and rehabilitate the people exposed to pesticide endosulfan in Kasargod district of Kerala by applying a new version of the age old ayurvedic method of treatments.
In the wake of slight improvements in the overall behaviour of certain endosulfan victims who were targeted initially to test the medications that were prepared in their own houses with natural herbs collected from the area, some environmental activists in the district have given full support to the Trust and wanted the authorities to pay heed to the doctor’s advice.
To treat the affected people, whose number goes beyond 4000, the Ayurvedic Trust has formed a project called ‘Sanjeevani Project” financially supported by Swami Detthathreya Asram at Sidhabari in Himachal Pradesh. The Trust chairman Dr R Raghavan, who has mastered both in Indian Systems and Modern Medicines, said in the first phase his project targets school children who are more volatile to the ailments caused by the spraying of this pesticide. However, treatment is given to all those who approach him or the trust voluntarily or supported by government agencies or NGOs.
According to him, the projects which span a period of ten years for complete recovery and prevention, envisage an expenditure of Rs 10 crore for investigation and preparation of medicines to all the people in the area. The main drug given is ‘Kashaayam” which is prepared in their own houses by the doctor with extracts of herbs collected from the hill tops of Kasaragod districts. Besides, they will be given some tonics as anti-toxins. Dr Raghavan has visited each affected person in the locality and selected 36 people for the first phase of his mission. “For all the diseases, there are solutions in the ayurvedic systems which were mentioned in the scriptures,” he told Pharmabiz.
He said neurobehavioural disorders, congenital malformations, epilepsy, loss of eye-eight and various types of skin diseases are the symptoms generally found in the children of the area. About 11 Panchayaths in the district have the ill-effects caused by this insecticide.
The doctor got overwhelming support form an environmentalist and social activist, professor M A Rehman, who led a long crusade against the spraying of endosulfan in the cashew plantations in the district and produced a documentary showing the pathetic conditions of the impaired people in the area.
While speaking to Pharmabiz, professor Rahman said if there is no clash between the stakeholders of Allopathy and Ayurveda, Dr Raghavan will do miracles in the area as in a short span of one month of administering some ayurvedic medications to 36 ailing people, they have now started showing some improvements. He added that Dr Raghavan on his own effort had started his mission in the area last month and the second visit begins on next week.
Meanwhile, the state government has recently launched a Remedial Cell in the area to treat the people with deformity caused by endosulfan use and set apart Rs 50 lakh for their treatments. In the ongoing session of the state assembly, the chief minister V S Achuthanandan said that around 400 people have died due to the ill-effects of the insecticide in the district.
