The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : University opens lab to standardise Siddha drugs

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Tuesday, Nov 25, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

University opens lab to standardise Siddha drugs

Special Correspondent

2.5-acre herbal garden set up on the campus

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University has set up a laboratory to help in standardisation and quality control for Siddha drugs, Vice-Chancellor Meer Mustafa Hussain said on Monday.

Stressing the need to standardise formulations and put in place a system of quality control in the Siddha system, he said the lab was established at a cost of Rs.30 lakh. Siddha students could take up research in the laboratory, he said, speaking at a scientific seminar and workshop organised by the Siddha department.

The university also planned to open an AYUSH hospital, which would offer outpatient departments for all Indian systems of medicine and homeopathy in a single building on the Guindy campus. The proposal was sent for financial clearance. A 2.5-acre herbal garden had been set up on the university campus.

The long-pending plan to have a university college was in its final stages, he said. The Finance Ministry’s clearance was awaited for making the Chengalpet medical college as the university college. He urged Finance Minister K. Anbazhagan, who was the chief guest at the inaugural function, to expedite the clearance.

Mr. Anbazhagan said Siddha was one system of medicine that was inseparable from a language—Tamil. However, some Siddha practitioners prescribed allopathic drugs merely because the necessary Siddha formulations might not be available. He called upon them to re-dedicate themselves to the true and honest practice of Siddha and ensure that scientific validations were done, as it would help to secure patents for the drugs and formulations. If this was not done, he said, there was a good chance of the West grabbing the patents for very basic herbs and formulations.

S. Selva Pandian, head, Department of Siddha, and K. Rajalakshmi, lecturer, spoke.

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