Imphal, June 26: An elderly villager of Churachandpur district of Manipur has earned the wrath of the state’s premier healthcare institute.

The cancer centre of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, has demanded a ban on the distribution of a herbal medicine prepared by Chawlien, 82, that promises a cure for cancer.

The rush of cancer patients and their relatives to the resident of Saikot village has led to a drop in the number of cancer patients at the centre’s outpatient department.

It all started after Chawlien claimed to have cured himself of cancer by taking the medicine prepared by him.

But authorities at the RIMS refuse to buy his claim.

“Many patients who took the medicine developed complications and are undergoing treatment at the cancer centre. They complain of diarrhoea. The medicine could have serious side effects,” the head of the institute’s cancer centre, Th. Tomcha Singh, told the media today.

The condition of 15 per cent patients now admitted to the ward of the cancer centre who had taken Chawlien’s liquid medicine had worsened, he claimed.

“The number of patients at the cancer centre’s outpatient department has come down by 50 per cent in the past week.

“The number of patients admitted to the ward has also dropped by around 25 per cent during the same period. They prefer to go to Chawlien instead of coming here. This is cause for worry,” Tomcha Singh said.

He said without any scientific research on the properties and side-effects of the home-grown medicine, taking it could be dangerous.

Explaining his fears, Tomcha Singh said the conditions of a breast cancer patient and that of an eight-year-old girl suffering from blood cancer had worsened after taking the medicine.

He said he would submit a report to the RIMS director.

On Saturday, science and technology minister Pungjathang Tonsing presided over a meeting on the issue that was attended by health minister Pheiroijam Parijat Singh besides health experts, scientists and officials.

Protest

Meira paibis (women’s activists) of Kiyamgei in Imphal East today staged a sit-in outside the gate of the residence of minorities and backward classes minister Md Allauddin.

There was a firing at his residence on Tuesday night.