TIRUPUR: A 17-year-old boy from the city, who was diabetic, died recently after he stopped taking insulin injections on the advice of an acupuncture therapist.
The therapist, R Balamurugan, who practises in Coimbatore, claimed that his death might have been caused by the intake of insulin.
The deceased, Subash (17), son of Jagadeesh, was diagnosed with diabetes about five years ago. He was taking insulin injection twice a day. At one point of time, Subash had to take insulin injections four times a day and it was reduced to two times following treatment.
According to Jagadeesh, Subash was fed up with the injections and wanted to stop it. Some people known to the family suggested that they visit the ‘acu-healer’ Balamurugan when he visited Tirupur on May 18.
Balamurugan said Subash should stop taking insulin injections as his diabetes could be cured through acupuncture therapy. But this made Subash seriously ill. On the evening of May 20, the family again contacted Balamurugan, who said this was normal, and that Subash was on the way to recovery.
However, the boy became unconscious the very next day and was declared brought dead when taken to a hospital in the city.
Asked about the matter, Balamurugan told Express that the boy might have been brought to him on the brink of death. “There are numerous patients whom I have cured. This case is one in a thousand. Other medical systems too do not guarantee saving life. They started taking treatment only after accepting my suggestion to stopping the insulin injections,” he said.
Balamurugan, who owned a photo studio till 2010, completed his Diploma in Acupuncture Science through an open university course. He has been running a clinic at Ramnagar in Coimbatore from 2011.
He accepted that there is no statutory body to register or regulate acupuncture healers, unlike systems of medicine like Siddha and Ayurveda.
The family of Subash, who are yet to overcome the grief caused by his death, are yet to take a decision on proceeding with legal action against the therapist.
There are numerous patients whom I have cured. This is one in a thousand. Other medical systems too do not guarantee saving life
R Balamurugan, Therapist