In the wake of directions from the health authorities, the sale of a traditional Tibetan medicine that supposedly prevents the spread of infectious diseases, including coronavirus, has been stopped.

Men-Tsee-Khang, the Tibetan medical and astro institute in this Himachal Pradesh town, was directed by the government to stop the sale of 'Rimsung Rilbu' so as to prevent any misconception in the public mind, the District Chief Medical Officer said on February 21. Men-Tsee-Khang's Director Tashi Tsering Phuri told the media that they had complied with the directive of the authorities.

He maintained that the institute had never made any claim regarding the pill's prophylactic properties, which was prepared as per formulations given in the ancient Buddhist texts. Men-Tsee-Khang, a charitable cultural and educational institution, was established in 1916 in Tibet, and re-established in Dharamsala in 1961 by the Dalai Lama.