Thanks to the growing interest and popularity for Ayurveda in Russia and other CIS countries as a time-tested alternative medicine stream, the Russian parliament may soon authorise practice and treatment of Ayurveda in Russia, besides accepting it as a medical and health care system in that country.

A delegation of the Morning star Light- Urusvati Humanitarian Charitable Society from Russia recently visited India to make a detailed report on applications of Ayurveda. The society will submit its assessment on Ayurveda and the way it is practiced in India in its report to be submitted to the Russian Parliament, which will consider to authorise Ayurveda and Ayurvedic practices in Russia.

The delegation will visit India in October again, along with the parliament designated technical scientific office team, to make a report on manufacturers of Ayurvedic products in India, various Ayurvedic practices and therapies, Panchakarma and its role in Ayurveda, Ayurvedic applications etc, informed sources told Pharmabiz.

According to Vivek Potdar, general manager, distribution and logistics, Zandu Pharmaceuticals, a delegation led by the Secretary of Indian Systems of Medicine & Homeopathy had visited Moscow and St. Petersburg recently, to assess the progress made on an MOU signed between Indian and Russia to promote Ayurveda in Russia.

The MoU was signed between Prof. V.S. Ramamurthy, secretary, Department of Science and Technology and G.I. Marchuk, Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences, for setting up the Russian Indian Centre for Ayurvedic Research (RICAR), for undertaking collaborative & co-operative activities in the field of Ayurveda etc. As a follow up, a series of meetings were also held during the visit of the Indian officials to Russia. Meetings were held between Deputy Health Minister of Russian Federation, Academic Council of Doctors of St.Petersburg, Moscow institute of Medico-social Rehabilitation, Russian State Medical University, G. I. Marchuk- Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences and representatives of Russian companies interested in importing Ayurvedic medicines and other products.

The deliberations were mainly related to deputation of Ayurveda teachers and experts, establishment of an Ayurveda Research Centre in Russia, import of Ayurveda medicines, translation of Ayurveda books & research papers in Russian language and above all recognition of Ayurveda as a medical and health care system in Russia.