With an aim to promote the traditional methods of treatment and to help unfold the net result of these therapies to the public as a whole, the Directorate of Indian Medicines of Tamil Nadu has decided to conduct a re-orientation training programme to the Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani physicians working in government hospitals and PHCs in the state.

The training, which is scheduled to be residential, is proposed for a period of five days with 10 lectures cum demonstrative sessions. It will commence on June 9, at the World University Service Centre, Chetpet in Chennai.

The trainers, who are institutionally trained practitioners and experts with hereditary and scientific background, will prepare modules of specific to their topics and will present their course material and training modalities prior to the programme, the course co-coordinator said.

The course will cover topics such as Anatomical basis of Varma (Thaokanam), Clinical Conditions and Treatment, Varma Treatment for Common Conditions, Drugs and Medicines for Thokanam, Equipment Handling, Maintenance, Documentation, Principles and Practice of Panchakarma, Herbs, Medicines and Oils for therapy, Unani Regimental Therapy and Multimedia presentation of treatments.

There will be interactive sessions in the evening which will enable the participants to share their experience. Each batch of trainees will have 50 doctors.

Centre for Traditional Medicine and Research (CTMR) is the agency designated to conduct the training course. Dr. Thirunarayanan, secretary of CTMR and the co-coordinator for the training programme, said that recently the Central government on a proposal from the state Department of Indian Medicine has provided a scheme for providing Thokanam, Varmam therapies of siddha and panchakarma therapy of ayurveda (physical manipulations) and regimental therapy of unanai in government hospitals and in the upgraded public health centres.

In the scheme, there are provisions for providing physical infrastructure and equipment for external therapies and medicines. He said since the physicians so far had no opportunity to provide these therapies in government hospitals, there was a need for imparting re-orientation training which is meant not just on the treatment modalities and but also a uniform approach throughout the state-run hospitals with facilities for sourcing required plants and other materials.

While speaking about the training programme, the secretary of CTMR said the course will help to revive the traditional practices to be able to avail for the common man as only limited institutionally trained Siddha physicians hailing from traditional background are practicing them and the number of persons with expertise are shrinking with the passage of time.

"We hope the training will enhance the credibility of both siddha medical system and the physicians, and encourage more utilization by common man as this offers better remedy for various ailments" Dr. Thirunarayanan pointed out.

Apart from Dr. Thirunarayanan, Dr. Robert Sing, a specialist in Varma from Kanyakumari, Dr. Shanmughan, SRMV College of Arts and Science. Coimbatore, Arjunan, Varmani specialist and physical education teacher, Kanyakumari, Dr. J. J. Vijaya Paul, a retired ayurvedic practitioner, Chennai, Dr. Madhavan, Pancha Karma specialist from Kanyakumari and Dr. G. Gangadharan, joint director of FRLHT, Bangalore are the trainers for the course.