The Hindu : National : “Promote Indian medicine systems”

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 27, 2007
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“Promote Indian medicine systems”

Special Correspondent

Make yoga compulsory in schools: Anbumani
Efforts on to discourage youth from using tobacco

NEW DELHI: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday called upon industry to invest in research and development of the traditional Indian systems of medicine to achieve credibility and global acceptance so that they could be propagated internationally.

“The traditional Indian systems of medicine like Ayurveda are our assets, which need to be protected,” he said at the inauguration of ‘Arogya,’ a fair of alternative systems of medicine.

Expressing concern over the patenting of certain herbs and plants by countries such as the U.S., Dr. Ramadoss said the government had set up a traditional plants digital library to keep track of such Indian plants. Though AYUSH systems were gaining popularity, some people had doubts that they were not based on evidence, and therefore not safe and efficacious. “We need to address these issues and to dispel these doubts through research.”

Dr. Ramadoss said the traditional medicinal systems had to be on a par with systems having international standards. “We are getting a lot of flak in international circles over the testing procedures and are working towards improving the system.” Propagating large-scale use of alternative and traditional Indian systems of healthcare, he said making yoga compulsory in schools. India was moving from the prevalence of communicable to non-communicable diseases. To help people cope with changing lifestyles, alternative medicinal systems needed to be propagated, he said.

Dr. Ramadoss said the government was taking steps such as growing alternative crops on tobacco plantations to discourage the youth from using tobacco.

Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said the regulatory systems of the world needed to be convinced that products related to the Indian systems of medicine conformed to their safety standards.

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