When dengue fever is alarmingly spreading in the State and the cost for its treatment escalating, many in Hyderabad Karnataka have found their own way to treat it. Tinospora cordifolia, a medicinal plant also known as heart-leaved moonseed, Guduchi, Giloy and Amrutaballi in local expressions, has come in handy for hundreds suffering from the disease.
Many claim that giving four crushed leaves of the herb with honey thrice a day to children and chewing a six-inch stem and swallowing its juice thrice a day for adults would help fast recovery from dengue.
“Seven members of our family were down with dengue last year. Being a below poverty line family, we were exhausted in mobilising ₹ 1.70 lakh for the treatment of the first dengue patient. When others in the family too were diagnosed with the same fever later, we desperately began to find alternative ways of treatment as we had no other source to tap for money. We then came across a small video clip explaining the effectiveness of Amrutaballi in treating it and we tried it. Surprisingly, the results were amazing. All the patients recovered in three-four days,” said Syed Sami Haider, a resident of Mominpura in Kalaburagi.
Mr. Haider and his wife, Syeda Shaheen Haider, have now taken it as a mission to spread awareness about the herb so that others too can use it and save a lot of money.
While his wife uses her links with the local women’s self-help groups to spread the word, Mr. Haider finds other ways such as the local media for the purpose.
Their efforts have begun to yield results as they are receiving a number of phone calls from faraway places in Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur and other districts with queries on how to use it.
“At least half of the people who benefited from the tips we gave, called back thanking us. I advise them to spread the word. More people get benefited from the herb, more will I be blessed by God, I believe. I don’t want anything else for my service,” Mrs. Haider says. When this correspondent met Gorebhai, a resident of Billalbad in Kalaburagi at his residence, he explained how his grandchildren magically recovered from dengue by simply consuming the leaves of the plant.
“Three of my grandchildren were diagnosed with dengue last month. I am not a rich man to spend thousands of rupees each time when I take them to hospital. I came to know about the herb and gave it to the children. All the three recovered within three days,” he said.
Nagaratna Chimmalagi, district AYUSH officer, endorses the claims. “Not just for treating dengue alone, Amrutaballi is effective in correcting malfunctions in liver, heart, nerve and other bodily systems. It has proven medicinal qualities that are helpful for treating many ailments,” she said.
Mr. Haider’s grandfather, Shareef Hyder, had migrated from Uttar Pradesh to serve as a royal Unani healer at Gadwal Samsthanam, a vassal of the Nizam of Hyderabad, during pre-Independence era. The family continued the profession one way or the other. Mr. Haider’s elder brother, Syed Shaji Hyder, had served as a principal of the Government Unani Medical College, Bengaluru.
“The family tradition of natural healing has a great influence on me and prompted me to do something for the people,” said Mr. Haider.
Mr. Haider can be reached on Ph: 9113666676 and 8970815715.