HYDERABAD: Thousands of asthma patients accepted “fish prasadam” at the Exhibition Grounds in Hyderabad last week. Traditionally distributed by a family since over 170 years, patients from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and other states queued up from morning 9.000 to mark 'Mrigasira Karti', the onset of monsoon as members of Bathini Goud began administering the “wonder drug”. Elaborate arrangements were made for the annual event. Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries T Srinivas Yadav, along with Telangana Legislative Council Chairman Swamy Goud inaugurated the distribution.
Bathini Harinath Goud said their family members were giving “fish prasadam” at 40 counters and the distribution continued till Saturday. The Fisheries Department has supplied 1.30 Lakh fingerlings for sale at its counters at the venue. However, the actual number of patients taking the 'prasadam' could be less than a lakh. Police authorities, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Electricity, Transport and other departments made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the event.
Telangama State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) operated over 130 special buses from the airport, railway station and bus stations to ferry asthma patients to the venue. Various departments are providing water, sanitation and other basic amenities to the patients. Voluntary organisations have also chipped in by distributing free food and water packets. The fish medicine lost its popularity in recent years after some groups, working to inculcate scientific temper among people, termed it as a fraud.
Despite controversies marring the fish medicine's popularity over last few years, people continue to take it, seeking some respite from respiratory problems. A live Murrel fish is gulped down with a yellow herbal paste in its mouth, which is believed to provide the much-needed relief, if taken for three consecutive
