Tibetan pill Chulen Rilbu. Photo courtesy of himalayancare.net
HT Correspondent | Hindustan Times
DHARAMSHALA, India, 21 February 2020
On directions from the state health authorities, the sale of a traditional Tibetan medicine that supposedly prevents the spread of infectious diseases, including coronavirus, has been stopped.
Men-Tsee-Khang, the Tibetan Medical And Astro Institute in this Himachal Pradesh town, was directed by the government to stop the sale of Rimsung Rilbu so as to prevent any misconception in the public mind, Kangra chief medical officer Dr GD Gupta said on Friday.
The authorities issued the directions citing reports of public disturbance and commotion created by public demand for the pill.
The CMO visited Men-Tsee-Khang’s McLoed Ganj branch on 16 February and issued verbal directions to stop the sale of the pill. He apprised the Tibetan institute that non-compliance may result in fines up to Rupees 10 lakh (14,000 USD) and even closure of clinics.
Men-Tsee-Khang director Tashi Tsering Phuri issued a public notice notifying that the pill will not be sold at the Tibetan clinics in Kangra district. He told the media that they had complied with the directive of the authorities. He maintained that the institute had never made any claim regarding the pill having properties to prevent contagious diseases.
“The pill having prophylactic properties is prepared as per formulations given in the ancient Buddhist texts and has been around for centuries,” he said. The medicine is not for oral consumption but is administered through smell.
Men-Tsee-Khang is a charitable cultural and educational institution, established in 1916 in Tibet, and re-established in Dharamshala in 1961 by the Dalai Lama. The institute aims to preserve, promote and practise Sowa Rigpa, the ancient Tibetan system of medicine, astronomy and astrology.
Nobody is saying that the Mentseekhang pills are a cure. But, they can prevent infection and protect your body against the virus. The different herbs used in these pills have properties that work to enhance your immune system and hence able to guard your body and fight infection better.
All those people mocking Ayurveda / natural healing modalities and remedies will soon find themsleves eating their words.
what are the ingredients in this pill? And how each ingredient is known to fight virus? What are the names and amounts of herbs, berries, leaves, or whatever was mixed in this pill?
It is very easy. Just test the effectiveness of each biochemical ingredient against covid 19 virus. Electron Microscope can see the ingredients of the pill down to the last atom if you zoom it like 2,000 times. It is said you can even see the pubic hair of a virus under all-seeing electron microscope.
meanwhile, Narendra Modi came under fire when he suggested herbal ayurvedic medicine against covid 19. Tibetan medicine is a part of ayurvedic medicine, isn’t it? Herbals aren’t known to be effective against viral infections.
Moreover, Mentsekhang said the pill ‘ PREVENTS’ the virus, instead of ‘ CURING’ it. And that too via smell. However, Indian medical authorities are saying it neither prevents nor cures. And each pill carries a hefty price tag of 100 rupees, or £1. In occupied Tibet, they are selling it for 200 Chinese yuan. In Europe, Ebay and Amazon has listings of this pill going for as much as £30.
Anyway, when and where were these proven to be effective medically? On what – animal or humans – are these tested? What does the World Health Organization say of the Tibetan medicine? These are pertinent questions we gotta ask.
“Messages claiming that garlic, curry leaves and cow’s urine can prevent or treat nCoV are being circulated in the name of doctors, medical institutions and the Health department. They are all false,” said Health Minister Rajesh Tope. “At present, there is no specific treatment for nCoV and patients are given only symptomatic treatment. While there is no reason to panic, people should not fall prey to such misleading messages,” he said.”
(Rajesh Tope – health minister of Maharashtra).
Now all this sounds like the authorities are following one protocol.
Starting with WHO – who is busting such “alternative” cures.
It will be a long time before R & D that is carried out comes up with some vaccine against this virus.
WHO has mismanaged this crisis and many countries are not “falling prey” to it’s directives.
(There is still no cure for the common cold btw!).
Who said ancient Tibetan pills can now help in the healing process of a rabid respiratory (plus blood and guts and heart) started in 2019 in the heart of China>
Go after the unscrupulous pill peddlers; why stop the ancient Tibetan pills that alleviated centuries old human ailments?
“Chulen” pills may be categorized in vitamins or food supplements section of ayurvedic medicine but if ayurvedic healing tradition is said to be false then the government should say so and establish laws that are not discriminatory.
Covid19 is new and while the Chinese Government is singing the praises of Traditional Chinese Medicine it is strange that the Indian Government is not only dissing but making it illegal. That may be a reason why some think the Chinese are superior?
This is a rather interesting statement by the Indian authorities. If the pill had any property that would help people avoid being infected by the deadly disease why should it be not encouraged instead of being banned? This is not the first time the Mentsee-Khang distributed such pills in times of crises. I remember wearing one “such pill” on my neck way back in the eighties when there was another viral outbreak. The Mentsee-Khang is not a dodgy street hawker doling out dubious dummies to unsuspecting customers. It’s a highly respected Tibetan Medical Centre which has made a name for itself across the world for its pure herbal medicines. Tibetan medicine is one of most pure herbal medicines in the world without resorting to mixing animal body parts like Chinese medicine which contains a myriad of tiger bones to rhino horns. No wonder there is commotion because people TRUST TIBETAN MEDICINE. The Tibetan people have one very unique feature no other nationalities in the world have – we don’t lie and deceive others. It’s in our DNA derived from our Buddhist belief. Highly respected Tibetan organisation like the Mentsee-Khang would never ever indulge in duplicity and mendacity like some countries in the neighbourhood. It baffles me that the Indian authorities have come to castigate a respected organisation which is hundreds of years old and has an established record of curing millions of patients across the world without a whisper of complaint. Tibetan medicine has become popular in Europe and is being produced in Switzerland by a firm called Padma-28 with Tibetan workers. As exiles, we have high stakes in maintaining our dignity and reputation as a people and a nation in our fight for our nation’s freedom. No Tibetan would sell our dignity down the river of infamy.
“No Tibetan would sell our dignity down the river of infamy”: I have to disagree with that statement, however, its’ beside the point. The CMO maybe under pressure from the local pharmacies that sell pain-killers and other remedies. It is easier to shutdown a small refugee clinic than argue the merits of the pill with angry locals, who despite benefiting hugely from the Tibetans; have always sought ways to keep their aspirations from rising too high.
Exactly. The big pharmas will not allow anything like this on a large scale. The pharmaceutical industry in the USA is set to be larger than the food Industry.They are aiming for a sick society not a healthy society.