Why force herbs down students' throats?

Who should be taking medicines? Those who are unwell, of course. However, in Lincang city, in Southwest China's Yunnan province, some schools made it mandatory for students to take a specific herb as a precaution against contracting the novel coronavirus.

Although there is no medical evidence to support the claim, reports say the students are required to buy the prescribed herb at local medicine shops and upload the prescription and bills to be able to attend classes in the new semester. Some kindergartens have even required parents to submit photographs of their kids taking the drug every day.

On Monday, the municipal education and sports bureau in Lincang apologized on its official website, saying the drug was merely a suggestion that some schools and junior officials decided to enforce. Now that has been clarified, there are some lessons to be learned.

When it comes to medicines and health, caution is advisable. The herb, namely "big pot herb", is popular but has not passed any national test. If a kid falls ill after taking the herb, local officials can be held responsible.

Although it is not clear if the herb they consumed was the same as the one being mandated in Lincang now, over 200 students and two teachers fell ill in June 2005 after a primary school in Kunming, capital of Yunnan, made them take the herb. One student even died.

However, this is no reason to denounce traditional Chinese medicine.

Although the big pot herb is a traditional drug, anyone who prescribes them must rely on patients' requirements. Those forcing students to take the herb are definitely not giving it a good name.

The power some officials and agencies wield, refusing students entry into schools for not consuming the herb, needs to be regulated because it is always ordinary people who end up paying a price.