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Thousands of people gathered in Kegalle outside an Ayurvedic center earlier this month, disregarding COVID-19 regulations, to collect samples of an unapproved tonic that claims to “cure” the virus after several MPs from Sri Lanka consumed and publicly endorsed the tonic.
The tonic, which supposedly contains honey and nutmeg, is made by Dhammika Bandara, who is neither a medical professional nor a registered Ayurvedic practitioner.
When interviewed, Bandara stated that he came across the concoction after “studying the COVID disease.” Furthermore, the unregistered Ayurvedic practitioner claimed that taking a teaspoon of his concoction three times a day for three days will make a person “immune to COVID for the rest of their lives.”
The purported cure has not been approved for public consumption and the Medicines Authority and Food Authority of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health have not recognized the product.
However, crowds began to fill the streets in the Udumagama area of Hettimulla, Kegalle after Bandara announced that 5,000 samples of the concoction would be distributed free of charge.
Earlier this week, Bandara visited parliament, presenting the tonic to parliamentarians together with the Minister of Indigenous Medicine, Rural Hospital Development and Ayurveda and Community Health, Sisira Jayakody. The two gave the speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena the tonic that promotes his ability to cure the COVID-19 virus.
Parliamentarians consuming the tonic
The tonic gained popularity after footage of multiple MPs consuming it on speaker chambers went viral, even though it had never been scientifically proven. The Health Ministry recently appointed an expert panel headed by Professor Senaka Pilapitiya, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences at the University of Rajarata to investigate Bandara tonic and report on their findings.
While many critics say The tonic may be harmless, they also warn that the danger lies in the minds of people who believe in its unproven and unproven efficacy. They believe that those who take the required dose and believe themselves immune to the virus will not take the necessary precautions, such as wearing a mask and social distancing, which will then pose a real threat to society.
Sri Lanka’s militarized response to Covid-19
As thousands gathered in Kegalle, in northeastern Tamil, COVID-19 regulations have been used to police and restrain the Tamil people.
Tamil areas like Mannar have been heavily militarized and in one of the many cases, Sri Lankan police tried to dismantle a Tamil protest in Mullaitivu earlier this week, when villagers took to the streets to advocate for land liberation in their district. In this case, the officers were filmed on camera trying to tear down banners and colliding with protesters. This same level of militarization and heavy police presence was not seen in the thousands gathered in Kegalle.
Ambika Satkunanathan, Former Member of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC), went to Twitter saying, “The police officer says that people cannot protest / rally due to # COVID19 and legal action will be taken against them. [People] they say they have nowhere to go, nobody understands their problems and is willing to die there. No # COVID19 in Kegalle or Park Street Mews? Just asking.”
Read more here and here.
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