TEMPO.CO, Medan - Hundreds of malaria patients in Mandailing Natal district and Batubara district, North Sumatra, have stopped experiencing high fevers, chills and vomiting. It did not take long for them to be cured of their illness. All they needed to do was consume the extract of sambiloto leaves and they gradually healed in a week.

"All of the plasmodium falciparum parasites in the patient’s red blood cells have been killed," said Doctor Umar Zein, an expert in tropical diseases and infections from the Faculty of Medicine within Prima University on Wednesday, November 20.

Researchers from North Sumatra University (USU) discovered the healing properties contained in sambiloto leaves (Andrographis paniculata). Awaluddin Saragih, Head of USU’s Traditional Medicine Laboratory, and his team looked further into leaf’s properties in an effort to find a cure due to the high rise of those infected with malaria in the eastern shores of North Sumatra, such as Batubara, Labuhan Batu Utara, Nias Islands, and Mandailing Natal districts.

Those who suffer from malaria in various North Sumatra regions had difficulties obtaining treatment in the form of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT), which is the basic cure for malaria.

"Based on that fact, my team and I researched alternative medicine using plants," said Awaluddin.

This herbal medicine was clinically tested on 180 people in Mendailing Natal district and 59 malaria patients in Batubara district last October.

Umar Zein admitted he was surprised at the healing properties contained in the sambiloto leaf. Based on his clinical tests, the patientw show positive signs of recovery on the third day after consuming the extract of sambiloto leaves. A week later, patients had completely recovered from malaria.

SAHAT SIMATUPANG