Separating seed from chaff

According to our main story yesterday the Health Ministry has decided to ban all unregistered herbal medicines. The decision was taken by Minister Maithripala Sirisena at a meeting with officials of the National Drug and Cosmetic Devices Authority. It was pointed out that the Act under which the Authority was formed did not have provisions to deal with such products. According to Ministry spokesman a number of samples of these so-called herbal medicines have already been sent to the Ayurvedic Medical Laboratory for verification.

The decision though belated is a wise one. Today the market is flooded with various concoctions claiming miracle cures for this or that disease. Not only in pharmacies these dubious herbal medicines are also found in wayside boutiques and in the possession self appointed vedamahattayas who conduct business in tiny enclosures. As stated in the news item these herbal medicines are also widely advertised in the media preying on a gullible public. The popularity gained by herbal treatment in recent times have no doubt made unscrupulous elements to cash in with their home grown concoctions.

These herbal medicines claim to offer cures for a wide range of ailments from a common headache to impotency while their contents and composition remains a mystery. What is more, the offers come with guaranteed cures luring the people to try these out. One recalls the famous Vadakaha episode during the solar eclipse in the 50s when dusky women drank the concoction believing some local oracle who claimed this will give them a fair complexion, only to have them running helter skelter with virulent attacks of diarrhoea. Though the present day public may not be that gullible there is no doubt the alluring advertisements and the promises of miracle cures is a tempting prospect for most.

The Minister is planning to add new provisions to the Act to deal with traders selling unregistered herbal medicines. The Act should also include clauses governing advertising of these products. True, this may be an encroachment on free trade and commercial advertising. But since the matter involves health risks some way should be found to confront the situation.

The probe also should be extended to cover various Ayurveda drugs that are in free circulation. One does not know if these are produced under proper supervision and meet with the required standards let alone their efficacy. Some of these drugs do not bear any brand name heightening the risk. Ayurvedic drugs or concoctions should not be allowed to be marketed haphazardly. As mentioned these concoctions are easily obtainable by anyone. There are also potent drugs, stimulants and even intoxicants being marketed under the Ayurveda brand name which are used by schoolchildren. The dragnet should be thrown wide to include other products beside so-called herbal medicines that carry great health risks to the public.

This is because today there are many compounds, lotions, dyes and packetted medicines openly sold in the market. It is doubtful if these medicines have been properly tested or their efficacy and composition confirmed by qualified medical practitioners. There are also cosmetics and various beauty creams with dubious claims that also should be brought under the microscope. Most of these items carry agents of skin cancer and various allergies. One recalls the death of a well known local singer shortly after the application of a hair dye.

The Ministry should also be cautioned on the manner in which it gets about this task. It should be done in a way that would not harm the genuine Ayurveda practitioner and efficacious herbal treatment for which the country is famous for. Today there are hotels that offer herbal massages as part of the package that have been extremely popular with tourists. There are also tried and tested herbal remedies coming down the ages that are still relied upon by a large segment of the population.

What is paramount is weeding out the imposters and charlatans while protecting our traditional Ayurveda system and indigenous forms of treatment. Saying that the Minister should also take steps to reduce the price of medicinal drugs. It is the high cost of drugs and other prescriptive medicines that drive the poor into the hands of the rogue elements marketing their parallel treatments. Measures should also be taken to monitor the quality of these drugs that come into the market lest they be more dangerous and carry risks greater than any herbal concoction can pose.