The Siddha herbal drug, ‘Nilavembu Kudineer’, which became popular in Tamil Nadu as the best remedy for dengue fever and chikungunya, is being distributed in Kerala now by the Siddha practitioners to check spread of all kinds of fevers, especially the vector-borne diseases.
 
The drug is distributed in all the medical camps set up in various government Siddha dispensaries and in centres of national health mission (NHM)  and National Ayush Mission (NAM) as part of control measures for the menacingly increasing dengue and chikungunya virus infections. The physicians of the traditional Siddha system are distributing the herbal decoction in the wake of its efficacy proved in Tamil Nadu when there was outbreak of influenza and mosquito-borne diseases two years ago. The medicine is also given to the people coming along with the patients as a preventive.
 
Dr. Vivek Andrews, medical officer at the NHM Siddha dispensary at Aruvikkara in Thiruvananthapuram district, said the medicine contains nine herbal ingredients, which have antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and immunomodulatory actions. It reduces symptoms associated with fever such as headache, body pain, muscle pain, loss of energy, fatigue, weakness etc. It is also effective for reducing joint pain, joint swelling, muscle pain, headache and rashes associated with chikungunya infection.  Further, it can be taken as a preventive medicine for dengue fever and chikungunya.

In Tamil Nadu, whenever fever is spread, government hospitals in the state usually distribute NIlavembu Kudineer to the patients visiting there. Now it has got wide popularity among patients and physicians as the best remedy for dengue fever and influenza.

According to information received from the ISM directorate in Kerala, the drug is given to the patients in almost all the 49 Siddha medical centres and in the special medical camps run by the local bodies. It is provided in liquid and powder forms.

Kerala has 8 Siddha dispensaries and one Siddha hospital under the state government. Besides, 8 Siddha units are working separately at Ayurveda hospitals as part of annual health project of the ISM. There are 28 dispensaries under NHM and 4 Siddha units under NAM.  Currently, all the districts in Kerala have Siddha dispensaries.

Dr. Vivek said Nilavembu Kudineer is administered to patients suffering all kinds of diseases, two times a day for three to five days. Adults are given 60 ml and for children 30 ml of the decoction. He added that it could be taken twice a day for five days as a means to protect from fevers by improving immunity.

Siddha medicines are procured from the Chennai based Siddha cooperative pharmacy, Impcops. But, they are available in pharmacies dealing with Siddha formulations and at the Impcops outlet in Thiruvananthapuram. In private clinics, which number more than one hundred, the physicians themselves prepare the formulations by purchasing raw materials from villages in Tamil Nadu.