Considering its effectiveness, Siddha care centre gets 1,000 more beds

Chennai

"We are treating COVID-19 patients using Siddha medicines at two COVID care centres in the city. This strategy of using Siddha medicines integrated with allopathy medicines has given encouraging results. As many 569 patients are recovered and discharged from the Siddha COVID care centre in Saligramam," G Prakash, Chennai Corporation Commissioner said.

On Friday, as many as 30 patients were discharged from the Saligramam centre and Prakash participated in a sending off event. There are around 200 patients under treatment in the centre. Apart from Saligramam centre, the civic body is running another Siddha care centre in Vyasarpadi. Earlier, the civic body provided Siddha medicines along with allopathy medicines at a COVID care centre in Arumbakkam.

"The integrated approach of using Siddha and allopathy medicines is working fine. Of the 569 patients, who were discharged from Saligramam centre, one person is over 90-years of age. The centre also treated three octogenarians and 11 septuagenarians. Patients, who came with symptoms were also cured. We will identify space and add 1,000 additional Siddha beds," Prakash added.

Explaining the contribution of door-to-door and fever camps in identifying symptomatic persons, Prakash said that around 3,000 persons with some kind of symptoms are being identified in the city every day. "The residents should disclose their actual health condition to the door-to-door survey workers," he requested.

When asked the precaution taken by the civic body to prevent dengue outbreak this year, Prakash said that all the 3,500 DBC (Domestic Breeding Checker) workers would be relieved from the COVID-19 work within a week. "The DBC workers will start controlling mosquito breeding. We can't brush aside dengue as the disease is equally deadly with COVID-19," he said.