As modern science struggles to deal with Covid-19 and alternative medicine promotes immunity boosters, snake-oil salesmen are at work, touting bogus remedies as fail-safe solution to the pandemic, an India Today Investigation has found.
At Kardam Puri in North-East Delhi, Hakim Kaamil offered mystery nasal drops to India Today’s investigative reporters when they met him posing as attendants of a teen showing Covid symptoms.
“Inshalla, I will give you a nasal medicine. It will work for corona. It’s a nasal drop,” Kaamil guaranteed. “If coronavirus has already infected, the drops will cure the patient.”
The quack advised two doses of the mystery drops in a day and claimed he administered this therapy to patients showing Covid symptoms at their homes.
“People who show Covid symptoms but are not sure about the diagnosis consult me. I deliver this medicine to them at their homes,” he said.
COVID TESTING AT QUACK CLINICS?
Surrounded by Covid hotspots at Mehrauli’s Shamsi Talab neighbourhood, a young man, Istikhar, not only offered treatment but also testing for Covid-19 at his own clinic.
“Will you do some testing if I bring the patient here?” asked the reporter.
“We’ll do all tests. Give him this medicine first. I’ll have the full-body tests done then,” Istikhar replied.
“Will you get the Covid-19 test done here?” the reporter probed further.
“Yes. Total testing will be done,” the quack answered.
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