Ministry of Health: take advantage of traditional medicine for covid

The Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) advises the public to use traditional medicine to prevent COVID-19. Traditional medicine is expected to be able to maintain public health and prevent disease, including the corona virus infection that causes COVID-19.

What kind of traditional medicine is recommended by the Indonesian Ministry of Health?

RI Ministry of Health: Take advantage of traditional medicine for the prevention of COVID-19

It is predicted that the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia will not end anytime soon. Society must adapt to circumstances new normal at least until an anti-COVID-19 vaccine is found, namely taking precautions, starting from a clean lifestyle to maintaining a healthy body.

The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenkes RI) recommends that people take advantage of traditional medicines in the form of herbs, standardized herbal medicines, and phyto-pharmacy as an option to prevent COVID-19. Phyto-pharmacy is a medicine made from natural ingredients which has scientifically proven safety and efficacy.

"The use of traditional medicine as an effort to maintain health, prevent disease and health care, including during the health emergency or the national disaster of COVID-19," wrote the Ministry of Health in a press statement.

Traditional medicine has been proven to have properties in maintaining endurance, reducing several complaints such as coughs, sore throats, reducing high blood pressure, diabetes, and several other properties.

However, the Indonesian Ministry of Health emphasized that traditional medicines should not be used in an emergency situation and endanger lives.

The public is also asked to pay attention to safe ways to use traditional medicines in order to get maximum benefits during the COVID-19 outbreak.

COVID-19 Outbreak updates Country: IndonesiaData

1,024,298

Confirmed

831,330

Recovered

28,855

DeathDistribution Map

Pay attention to the rules of traditional medicine when it is about to be consumed

As with medicine in general, the use of traditional medicines must also follow several rules, namely as follows.

1. These traditional medicines must have a distribution permit from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).
2. Pay attention to the rules of use listed on the packaging.
3. Pay attention to the expiration date.
4. Pay attention to drug contraindications (as opposed to your health condition).
5. Pay attention to medicinal properties.
6. Packaging and physical form of the product must be in good condition.

In addition to traditional medicines that have been processed, you can also use natural ingredients that are available directly. Among them are medicinal plants such as ginger, turmeric, ginger, galangal, kencur, cinnamon, lemongrass, moringa leaves, katuk leaves, and many more.

The use of traditional medicines must also be in accordance with health standards and not to make you sick during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Natural ingredients that can be used by the community for treatment are already listed in the Indonesian Traditional Medicines Herb Formulary (FROTI).

FROTI contains a list of medicinal plants from Indonesia that are proven to have health benefits. The list also states the benefits, how to use, dosage, and other important things that must be considered in each medicinal plant.

One of them is red ginger which is useful for treating colds, diseases with cold symptoms, sneezing, and nasal congestion. Red ginger should not be used by pregnant women and children under 2 years of age. Red ginger also has the side effect of increasing stomach acid.

Use of traditional medicine for handling COVID-19

The Indonesian Institute of Knowledge (LIPI) is currently developing traditional medicine for the treatment of COVID-19. It's just that, the drug still has to go through a series of trial stages and takes time to be ready for use.

Until now, there is no specific herbal medicine for handling COVID-19 in Indonesia.

"Traditional medicine should also not be used in emergency situations and situations that are potentially life-threatening," wrote the Ministry of Health.

In other countries, traditional medicine has begun to be tested for the treatment of COVID-19. China even formalized the use of traditional medicine as a treatment option for COVID-19 in its country on Tuesday (14/4).

The three traditional medicines patented by the Chinese government, namely Lianhuaqingwen, Jinhuaqinggan, and Xuebijing.

Chinese officials claim that the three drugs are effective in relieving symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, cough, fatigue, and reducing the chances of the patient developing a severe condition.

Even so, this claim of efficacy is not accompanied by scientific evidence such as the results of studies and clinical trials published internationally.

Study entitled Use of herbal drugs to treat COVID-19 should be with cautionIt says that without going through clinical trials, the use of herbal medicines in COVID-19 patients has the potential to have dire consequences.