Hyderabad: The annual fish 'prasadam' (medicine) for asthma patients at Nampally exhibition grounds will be administered on Thursday and Friday. Elaborate arrangements have been made to prevent stampede as thousands throng to swallow the fish prasadam. It is estimated that nearly 1.50 lakh people will avail the free administration of the medicine.

It is administered by Bathini Harinath Goud on the occasion of "Mrigasira Karthi", which heralds the onset of monsoon. The distribution all started from 1840 and Goud belongs to the fourth generation of the family.

The fish prasadam is the herbal paste, which is inserted into the mouth of a live murrel fish fingerling, and slipped into the mouth of the patient as part of the traditional cure for asthma. It is believed that if taken for three consecutive years, it cures asthma. Meanwhile, Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, who looked over the arrangements, said that two lakh fingerlings have been provided to Bathini's family by the Fisheries department.

The fish prasadam is the herbal paste, which is inserted into the mouth of a live murrel fish fingerling, and slipped into the mouth of the patient as part of the traditional cure for asthma

DCP D. Joel Davis said that to regulate the rush, nearly 1,000 police personnel have been deployed and also volunteers have been pulled in to assist the officials. A makeshift control room has been put in place with over 35 surveillance cameras to watch over the venue. Traffic restrictions haven't been imposed as people who flock in to avail the service usually come either by train or bus.