The Ayurvedic Medicine Manufacturers Organization of India (AMMOI) will soon submit a memorandum to the Ayush Department asking them to take measures to address the current issues faced by the ayurvedic industry in the country, especially in Kerala, said Dr D Ramanathan, general secretary of AMMOI.

According to him, in the present five year plan, the allocation for the utilization of ISM was very less compared to modern systems and in the next plan, it has to be hiked considerably. Under the National Rural Health Mission, Rs 2800 crore have been allocated for allopathic system, whereas very meagre amount has been allocated for the development of Ayurveda and other systems of Indian medicines. Urgent measures have to be taken for this common issue, Dr Ramanathan said.

The insurance schemes like Mediclaim are not applicable to private ayurvedic hospital treatments. It is essential to include the Ayurveda hospitals with superior quality and standards in private sector into the scheme. The memorandum says the manufacturers of ayurvedic products in Kerala are presently facing delay in getting product and manufacturing licenses. Only the department of Ayush can sort out these hazards, Dr Ramanathan said.

Like the subsidy in financial assistance given by Ayush Department to the ISM manufacturing companies for establishing GMP facilities, the department should sanction financial aids to the units to set up high standard Ayurveda hospitals providing quality treatments like Panchakarma.

The Memorandum emphasizes the need to allow the ayurvedic physicians to sell all kinds of medicated oils under the category of ayurvedic medicines as the drugs department sanctions all ayurvedic products by 25 D license. Recently the Tax Department in Kerala has revised its norms by putting all the medicated oils to the category of cosmetics and started collecting high sales tax considering them as cosmetic products. These items are liable to pay 12.5 per cent VAT also. Dr Ramanathan said medicated oils with coconut oil as base are certified as classical ayurvedic medicines specifically intended to be used in diseases of scalp and hair.

AMMOI also wants the central government to implement measures to identify and segregate medicinal herbs and render them available to the manufacturers. He said, in Kerala, under the 'Desiya Grameena Thozhilurappu Paddhathi', a scheme intended for hygiene improvement in rural Punchayaths, many of the medicinal plants are being cut down and destroyed as weeds. The central agency should ask the state government to put an end to the elimination of state's traditional medicinal herbs.

Regarding Kerala issues, the Memorandum of AMMOI specifies the need to empower the state Medicinal Plant Board to collect medicinal plants endemic in particular geographic areas and make them available to manufacturers all over the state. Moreover, the raw drug collectors need to be made aware of scientific harvesting of medicinal plants.

AMMOI secretary said in his memorandum that certain animal products like Civet, obtained from Civet cats are scarcely available today which are essential for the production of several important ayurvedic medicines like Dhanwantharam tablets. General public are prohibited from rearing these animals with reference to wild life protection act. He said, in this regard, exemption may be granted to the ayurvedic manufacturers in order to produce quality medicines.

Pippalyaasavam and Drakshaarishtam are two fermented ayurvedic medicines for which the manufacturers are paying excise duties as they are misinterpreted as beverages notwithstanding the fact that they are medicines prescribed for specific conditions or diseases. Dr Ramanathan said this unfair rule has to be restructured immediately as otherwise it would be discredit to the age old ayurvedic system.