A man selling grass he claimed could heal more than 100 diseases for $8.50 per kg in front of a market in Kompong Chhnang province was ordered by the provincial health department to cease operations, officials said Wednesday.
Chea Phorn, 54, claimed to be a traditional healer and was caught selling the grass in front of a market in Boribor district, according to Prak Vuth, director of the provincial health department.
He instructed his customers to boil the grass and drink the water to heal nearly any illness, Mr. Vuth said.
“We just advised him to stop selling the grass without a license from the traditional healer department,” he said.
Mr. Vuth added that the health department confiscated some of the grass and now plans to analyze it to determine if it is a health risk.
“If it affects people’s health, we will take action against him,” he said.
Boribor district police chief Chheang Sovanrith said Mr. Phorn was not arrested as his grass had not killed anyone.
“This is the first time I’ve seen this,” he added. “I never heard of taking grass to kill a sickness.”
