Karnataka Government will not be providing support to take up research projects in Ayurvedic medicine, according to Prof. D Nagaraj, director, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS).

"There has been a drastic cut in grant from the state to support research in Ayurveda since a year and NIMHANS has been the victim of the government funds freeze," he pointed out.

While inaugurating a clinical research unit and an Ayurveda hospital in Bangalore which is an initiative by the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), Prof Nagaraj, stressed the need for allocation of more funds by the State Government for Ayurveda drug research.

NIMHANS has now a full-fledged advanced centre for Ayurveda which was expected to receive a grant of Rs 5 lakh for purchase of equipment for Panchakarma therapy from the Central Council for Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS) which is a part of the department of Indian System of Medicine and Homeopathy, Government of India. But the release of funds has been deferred. "Delays in grants from the government would be a serious deterrent for progress in traditional medicine health care as it ultimately affects patient care," he informed.

The CCIM's clinical research unit and hospital has been shifted to a new building, provided by the Karnataka Government's directorate of Indian System of Medicine & Homeopathy. The clinical research unit will conduct studies on the drugs produced by the Government Central Pharmacy [GCP] in Bangalore, which tests the drugs of the 210 Ayurveda companies in the state. There have been no investments made to relocate the facility, informed sources.

There is immense scope in research in mental health and neuro sciences through Ayurvedic approaches in association with the departments of psychiatry and neurology at NIMHANS. "Though the science is a 5,000 year-old tradition, many were unaware that it provided cure for many ills," stated Prof. Nagaraj.

He lamented that there was no big Ayurvedic hospital in the state. "Ayurveda has become more popular in Europe and US. Many doctors have opened Ayurveda centres in Germany and UK. The irony is that India which is the base for Ayurveda lacked government support," he bemoans.