A traditional system of medicine namely, Sowa-Rigpa, which has been approved to be placed on par with other systems of Indian medicines by granting legal status will undergo a number of changes in line with the recommendations of an expert committee.

Ensuring good manufacturing practices for the Sowa-Rigpa manufacturing units, improvement in the curriculum for the medical graduates in this system and more regulatory steps to ensure quality of the products are some of the measures to be implemented as a proposed bill in this regard is set to be passed by the Parliament.

Recently the Cabinet had decided to give legal status to this traditional medicine practised in the Himalayan region and gave approval to the bill to amend the Indian Medicine Central Council (amendment) Act, 1970 to bring in necessary changes to accept the system on par with Ayurveda and other branches.

Sowa-Rigpa, also known as 'Amchi’, is one of the oldest surviving systems of medicine and is practiced in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling (West Bengal), Lahoul and Spiti (Himachal Pradesh) and Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir. The Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS) has one research unit at Leh functioning as Sowa Rigpa (Amchi) Research Centre and is conducting research on Sowa Rigpa literature, drug development, clinical trial etc in addition to health care services.

Centre had constituted an experts panel under the chairmanship of Prof. GN Samten, Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Varanasi to assess the status, strength and association of Sowa Rigpa with Ayurveda and its reorganization. The committee, after reviewing the issue, had recommended the recognition of this system on par with other Indian branches of medicine.

In Sowa-Rigpa practicing regions, Amchis may be considered for appointment in all local health scheme and Government hospitals. The status of existing Sowa-Rigpa colleges is very poor, they may be brought at par with Ayurveda and Siddha colleges applying all norms of CCIM, the panel suggested.

It also recommended constitution of a panel to redraft the Sowa-Rigpa graduate’s syllabus to make it comprehensive like that of Ayurveda to produce professionally competent graduates. Another important recommendation was to make the GMP compulsory for all units manufacturing products for this branch of medicine. It also wanted the government to extend financial assistance to the colleges as in the case of Ayurveda, Siddha etc.

Sowa-Rigpa is similar to Ayurveda in theory and practices. Sowa-Rigpa also includes a few principles of traditional Chinese medicine. Rgyud-bzi, the fundamental text book of Sowa-Rigpa. is believed to have been taught by Buddha himself and is closely linked with Buddhist philosophy.