The Union Government propose to secure priority status and green industry status for Indian System of Medicine (ISM) industries including Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani. Efforts would be made to secure fiscal incentives and tax concessions to ISM industry within overall taxation policy. To make them viable and competitive ISM drugs would be encouraged to adopt modern dosage forms. Classical formulation would be encouraged. Manufacturer would be required to have safety and efficacy studies of their patent and proprietary medicine before granting license, said Shatrunghan Sinha, Union Minister of 'Health and Family Welfare.' He was inaugurating the four-day 'World Ayurveda Congress' organized by Swadeshi Science Movement and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at Ernakulathappan Ground yesterday.

“Keeping in view the global interest in understanding ISM concepts and practices, modules will be formulated for introducing Ayurveda and Yoga to medical schools and institutions abroad; courses of long duration say one year to two years would be started for allopathic doctors from India and abroad who are interested in learning about Ayurveda. All Pharmacopoeia related work would be completed by 2005. Enforcement mechanism will be activated. Industry would be encouraged to make use of quality certification scheme. Quality control centers would be set up or recognized on regional basis,” he said.

Research on fundamental principles of Indian System of Medicines and Homeopathy (ISM&H) drug research to establish safety and efficacy of ISM medicine will be accelerated. Disease oriented clinical drug research following reverse pharmacology approach would be encouraged.

For sensitizing the students of Modern Medicines about the strengths of ISM and create better understanding which would ultimately lead to integrated approach to health care, a capsule curriculum for 15 hours would be suggested. Physicians specifically permitted by the State govt may perform certain modern procedures and treat patient through that system. However, this is not so for the modern physicians prescribing ISM medicine. A large number of ISM products are OTC products. People buy at their own without prescription. Questions are asked: Should there be restrictions on modern physicians prescribing even such drugs! This is an issue, which needs to be examined in the larger health care strategy, he said.

Mainstreaming of ISM&H in national health care delivery system and National programme has been given prime importance in the policy. A range of options for utilization of ISM&H manpower would be developed by assigning specific goal oriented role and responsibility to ISM work force. An ISM&H wing would be encouraged and supported at primary health care level. States would be encouraged to reenact or modify laws governing the practice of modern medicine by ISM practitioners so that there is clarity on the subject. Referral ISM hospitals in the country will be renovated modernized and upgraded to provide full range of ISM treatment. Policy support has also been worked out for establishment of specialty clinics and therapies in modern hospitals.

Sinha pointed out that the inadequate availability of raw drugs without assurance of quality and authenticity has been a major concern. Medicinal Plants Board has been set up to address all issues related to conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants leading to remunerative framing, regulation of medicinal farms and conservation of biodiversity. An export authority for this sector to address export elated issues and to help in increasing exports for which there is expanding market need to be established. Medicinal Plants Board will acquire statutory status and will be able to regulate registration of farmers and Co-operation Societies for marketing of medicinal plants.

Protection of Indian traditional medicinal knowledge would be undertaken through progressive creation of digital library for each system and eventually for unmodified knowledge leading to innovative and good health outcomes. A beginning has already been made to establish traditional knowledge Digital Library for Ayurveda.

The objective of the ISM policy is to expand the outreach of health care through preventive, promotive, mitigating and curative intervention through ISM&H. The policy aims to address almost all the components of ISM&H like education, health services, drug industry and research.

New courses of pharmacy and nursing are also to be started in ISM&H, which has been felt need of ISM&H health care services. The regulatory mechanism for regulating pharmacy and nursing education has also been envisaged.

Govt of U.K. is planning to introduce a course of herbal medicine. The course will contain herbal medicine systems from various countries like Ayurveda, Chinese medicine etc. 1100 hrs of teaching and training of Ayurveda was suggested. The Department, however, worked out a core curriculum covering 1700 hours. It was also clarified that candidates undergoing this course curriculum need to be separately trained in modern medicine subjects. This was done with a view to introduce Ayurveda in U.K. and get it officially recognized. This 1700 hours core curriculum contains all the essential subjects of Ayurveda from the present B.A.M.S. course. Government of U.K. is seriously considering to adopt this course, which will pave way for recognition of Ayurveda.

A scheme for home remedy kits, announced by the Prime Minister, would be launched soon, Shatrughan Sinha said at the function.

Hundred villages in each of the 20 identified states would be provided home remedy kits, as a pilot scheme, containing medicines of common ailments. The kits are designed to address common ailments of villagers who do not have access to any health care facilitate. If proved successful, it would be implemented throughout the country, he said.

“Kerala does not need an Ayurveda university, it deserves one”, said Shatrughan Sinha at the inaugural function. He was referring to Health Minister P Sankaran's words on the State's need to have an affiliated Ayurveda university soon.

But, the minister refrained from making any concrete proposal on this issue. Malathi S. Sinha, Secretary of ISM&H, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare who spoke about the present status of ISM&H on the inaugural session said that the Government of India has recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Government of Russia on Collaboration in the field of Ayurveda Teaching, Treatment and Research. Panchkarma and Kshar Sutra are in the process of being recognized in Russia. Hungary has recognized 40 Ayurvedic drugs, Medical Schools in USA want to introduce an Ayurvedic module in their medial schools.

“Our teaching institutions like Banaras Hindu University and Gujarat Ayurved University have entered in to MOUs for collaboration in the field of Education and Research with Institutions in Japan, Russia, The Netherlands, France and Sri Lanka are studying in the BAMS course at GAU, professionals from USA, Holland, Germany, Brazil, Switzerland, Ukraine are attending three months introductory course and BHU is conducting a nine months Ayurvedic course for foreign students and also conducting M.D. (Ayurveda) for doctors having MBBS qualification,” she said.

“Steps had been taken to amend the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules to ensure the quality of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani drugs in order to enhance their credibility and acceptability. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) had become effective from June 2002.



“To promote export of ASU drugs, we have relaxed the rules on labeling and packaging provisions suitable to the importing country, we have issued guidelines for Good Laboratory practices to guide the drug analyst in maintaining high scientific and professional standards for ensuring the drugs of high quality; have given funds to State Drug Testing Laboratories for their up-gradation, renovation and modernization in order to cope up with the large number of tests they need to do; notification is under issue to recognize private drug testing laboratories for testing of raw-material for ASU drugs. Necessary amendments under Drugs & Cosmetics Rules to improve shelf life of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani patent and proprietary drugs for allowing preservatives, excipients, additives, colouring agents etc. is under active consideration. State governments have been advised to take stern action against misleading and exaggerated ASU drugs appearing in magazines, newspapers, electronic media which bring bad name to our drugs under the provisions of Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act, 1954. Schedule 'K' of Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 were amended to facilitate sale of 49 Homoeopathic drugs in all licensed pharmacies and licensed shops” she said.

Presiding over the function, P Sankaran, Minister for Health, said the State Government will provide all support, if the Centre was ready to finance the Ayurveda Park in Kozhikode.

On Ayurveda in the present scenario, Malti Sinha, secretary of ISM&H, said steps had been taken to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics rules to ensure the quality of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani drugs to enhance their credibility and acceptability. The Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) had become effective from June this year, she said.

O Rajagopal, Union Minister of State for Urban Development, K V Thomas, Minister for Tourism and Fisheries, Dr. M.A. Kuttappan, Minister for the Development of SC/ST and Youth Affairs and health ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan were also present at the function. George Eden MP, Dr. P.K. Warrier, chairman of organising committee, K.I. Vasu, chairman of Vijnana Bharathi, Justice K.K. Narendran, Dr. N.K. Mahadevan, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Dr. G.G. Gangadharan, Dr. C. Suresh Kumar and Dr. P.S. Shyamala Kumari also attended the function. Souvenir of the Congress and newsletter of ISM&H were released.