Padma Shri awardee and tribal healer Lakshmi Kutty.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Padma Shri awardee and popular tribal healer Lakshmi Kutty says nature has provided all medicinal plants to ensure quick healing of dreaded diseases. She says that patients who are under medication should adopt healthy habits and have faith in the medicines to get rid of chronic diseases.
Ms. Lakshmi Kutty, who can identify nearly 500 medicinal plants in the Kallar forest area near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, studied only up to the third standard. However, she writes poems and songs and sings them with a sweet voice. She says nature is her real guru, who taught her everything from her childhood days. Ms. Lakshmi Kutty, who came to deliver a lecture at the Central Tribal University of Vizianagaram, recently spoke to The Hindu about her attachment to nature, which made her learn and provide medicines prepared with plants to poor people at a nominal fee.
“Medicines prepared with plants do not have any side effects. That is why hundreds of patients come to me to get medicines. Fortunately, the recovery rate is almost 98%. Patients suffering from chronic diseases in advanced stages may not get a complete cure immediately. I can say they can lead a healthy life if they have faith in my medicines. I strongly believe that surgeries are not required if the patients start taking medicines at an early stage of the problem,” she added.
Central Tribal University Vice-Chancellor T.V. Kattimani requested that she train more interested youngsters in the identification of medicinal plants and the preparation of traditional medicines to ensure affordable treatment for needy patients.
Published – February 10, 2025 06:23 pm IST