A delegation of Tamil Nadu Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani Drugs Manufacturers Association (TASUDMA) will soon meet the principal secretary and director of Indian System of Medicine, Government of Tamil Nadu, G A Rajkumar to express their strong indignation against keeping them out of the much acclaimed state brainstorming Ayush seminar held at Madras University Centenary Hall recently.

From all over the state, all the practising doctors of government and private ISM hospitals, students and the teachers of ISM colleges were invited to take part in the seminar. But the manufacturers of the traditional system of medicines were not allowed to share the dais along with other dignitaries, sources from TASUDMA told Pharmabiz. During their impending meeting with the ISM director, which may happen this week itself, they will submit a memorandum to the director expressing their protest.

Tamil Nadu is one of the states in the country having rich heritage of Siddha, Ayurveda and Unani systems of treatment and the state cherishes rich ethno-botanical knowledge about medicinal plant from ancient times. The state can also claim another credit of having a number of herbal cultivators and exporters of herbs, besides a lot of state and privately owned herbal farms. According to ISM manufacturers, unlike allopathic system, all the manufacturers of traditional system of medicines are qualified doctors or experienced Vaidyas. They have the experience of both production and practising the system, but the association was not given a chance to interact with others in the seminar, said the source.

While interacting with Pharmabiz about the way in which the much publicized seminar was conducted, Dr Vijay Mehtha, general secretary of TASUDMA said, “Manufacturing practices of Ayurveda-Siddha-Unani drugs are laid down in Schedule T of the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules, 1945. When the authorities want to mainstream the importance of Ayush products and their culture, the manufacturers also have to be updated with it. All the rules, quality control aspects, technology, equipment, and all other pharmacopoeial standards both for single and compound drugs must be educated to the manufacturers. All manufacturers are not fully aware of the developments and amendments regarding the provisions of the Act,” Vijay Mehtha said.

About the scope of the industry, Vijay Mehtha who is one of the directors of the Special Purpose Vehicle (TACT Pvt Ltd) constituted for the formation of an Ayush Cluster in the state for which the Ayush Department has already sanctioned Rs 10 crore, said near about two thousand graduates are coming out from various Ayurveda and Siddha colleges every year in the state. The government cannot give jobs to all of them, so they indulge in private practice and manufacturing. For it they have to depend on the existing industry people and private hospitals for more advice and guidance.

“Here the association has a key role to play in moulding them to the benefit of the society. Not giving an opportunity to the association to participate in the function after collecting a handsome amount from us means that we are forbidden from interacting and sharing our experiences and grievances with others and alleged that the organizers’ action was unjust,” the secretary of TASUDMA said.

But the veteran Siddha doctor praised the initiatives being taken by the ISM department in the state in promoting the traditional systems of medicine and other attempts like ISM Information Centre and the conduct of Integrated ISM pharmacy courses and Nursing courses which are all set to start soon.

The programme of brainstorming Ayush was one of the strategies envisaged under National Rural Health Mission with an objective to improve outreach and quality of health delivery in rural areas.