Govt to set up North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Homoeopathy

NI Wire

New Delhi

Thu, 27 Mar 2008: 

The proposal of the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) to set up North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Homoeopathy in Shillong, Meghalaya has been approved by the cabinet at a cost of Rs. 67.51 crore.

The new autonomous institute would further accelera the development and academic research in Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy thereby fulfill the growing healthcare needs with low cost herbal medicines as the most attuned medical care option.

Considering the location importance of Shillong in North-eastern states and the unavailability of any such institute of indigenous medicine, it would contribute to the revision of our neglected traditional medical system. In its effect it would also decrease the gap between doctor-population ratio, especially in the rural areas or tribal dominated regions of North East states.

Need to promote traditional health care

Though India has a total of 225 Ayurveda colleges and 181 Homoeopathy colleges, it is essential to increase that number with the growing demand for Ayurveda and Homoeopathic systems by standardizing medicine and training. The popularity of Yoga and Ayurveda in foreign countries as the best means against the expensive allopathic system also need to be addressed at large with extensive research and development project.

During 1970’s the World Health Organisation in its observation had stated that the existing colonial health system in India is insufficient to meet the needs of such a large scale population and hence recommended the adoption of primary health care practitioners into mainstream; it was one of possible and effective solutions though there is still a long way to go due to lack of training and infrastructure facility to those non-qualified traditional health workers.

One of the prime focuses of such Ayurveda institutes and Government initiative is to educate and train traditional health workers so that they can retain the same popularity and faith of traditional medicine with its incorporation in national health programmes.

Also, North East region being a vast abode of various herbs can help flourishing the rich traditional way of treatment through AYUSH.