Medicinal plant garden to come up at Kidwai

The Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology will sport a garden of medicinal plants in the near future. An estimated 2,000 plants of over 500 species are to be planted in the campus.

The institute has joined hands with environmentalists and support groups for the purpose. The Kidwai campus is in a 40-acre plot with several constructions.

According to the institute’s director, Dr C Ramachandra, new saplings will be planted in the available space.

“The idea is to ensure that patients breathe clean air. It will benefit those who accompany the patients, the staff and everyone else at the campus,” Dr Ramachandra told DH.

Environmentalist Yellappa Reddy and members of Indus Herbs are working on this. Reddy said the work has begun. “However, the debris inside the campus must be cleared first,” he said.

“We intend to complete the work within 60 days,” Reddy added.

Reddy and his team have listed plants that purify air and are known to kill bacteria and viruses.

“The idea is to improve air quality. A sneeze is enough to spread a disease. These plants are known for medicinal value and help regulate clean air,” Reddy explained.

According to Reddy, the plants would enhance aesthetics too. “We have picked plants like Plumeria. It blooms for six to seven months. The flowers contain volatile oil. On exposure to sunlight, molecules are released into the air. This is known to have various benefits,” he said.

Another is Kanaka Champa, believed to have aromatic oils. “Complex chemicals and pathogens cannot easily develop resistance to it,” Reddy pointed out.

Other smaller plants such as Magara Patram and Tulasi, rich in oils, have also made the list apart from aromatic hedge plants such as Vitex negundo.

Once the garden is set up, the nurses and staff at the institute will tend the plants.