Capital takes the homoeo path

In Delhi, people are now banking on homeopathy and ayurveda to fight swine flu.
Practitioners of homoeopathy and ayurveda say they are getting a few hundred phone calls a day from people asking for medicine against the H1N1 virus. Though there is no specific homeopathic medicine which can treat the virus, practitioners say there are medicines which can boost immunity and reduce chances of contracting the disease.

“We can reduce chances of acquiring swine flu by at least 70% through homoeopathy,” said Dr M Shahid, a homoeopath in Delhi. “We have homoeopathy medicines which can prevent the flu. Gelsium and Bryonia can reduce symptoms like cold, sneezing and sore throat,” he said.

According to practitioners of ayurveda, simple home remedies can also strengthen the immune system to a great extent and reduce the possibility of swine flu. “”Everyday herbs such as Amla, Ashwaghanda, and Trishna can fight infections that weaken the system. Eating five to seven tulsi leaves a day can act as an antiviral,” said Preity Chhabra, an ayurvedic doctor.  “These build up a great deal of resistance in the immune system which can deter the flu from attacking the body.”

These doctors believe that lower immunity levels is making some people more vulnerable. “We cannot give medicines to treat swine flu. These medicines can only act as a preventive. They boost immunity, which is why many people do not catch the virus even though many others do,” said Dr Anil Sharma, a homoeopath. “Why do so many people not catch the virus? Because they have stronger immunity, “said Dr Chhabra.

These doctors are opposed to giving medicines without proper tests. “We give patients medicines to nullify the symptoms for a while. Until people are tested properly, we cannot give the right medicine,” said one doctor.

Out of the 10 people who have died in the epidemic so far, five had asthma, low haemoglobin, diarrhoea, pneumonia, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

Andhra Pradesh
Swine flu is threatening to spoil the World Badminton Championship. The team from Malaysia is nervous as their coach has shown flu symptoms. His blood samples have been sent for tests. The hospital has taken in 76 flu patients since May and discharged 73. Hyderabad will get a lab to test flu samples.

Kerala
A 33-year-old is in critical condition at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. He came to the city from Chennai last week.

Rajasthan
Four more suspected of carrying the flu have been admitted in hospitals. The Union health ministry sent a team to Sawai Man Singh Hospital to find out whether all guidelines are being followed.

Uttar Pradesh
A 29-year-old man, who had returned from UK, tested positive in Allahabad on Tuesday. As many as 11 new patients tested positive in Lucknow. Of these eight belong to the family of five-year-old Hasan Rizvi who got the flu last week. Rizvi is the grandson of a Congress leader.

Tamil Nadu
Fourteen patients are being treated in hospitals (12 in Chennai, 2 in Coimbatore), while swab and blood test reports of 37 suspects are awaited. New labs to come up at Madurai, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli.

West Bengal
No fresh case reported. The high point on Tuesday was Union minister of state for health Dinesh Trivedi visit to the Infectious Disease (ID) Hospital with a team of experts. He found the infrastructure inadequate.

Orissa
Though several suspected cases were reported in the past six days, not a single person has been found to be carrying the disease.