In a significant stride towards developing a holistic and affordable healthcare service through traditional Siddha system of medicine, the Chennai-based Centre for Traditional Medicines and Research (CTMR) has drawn up a blueprint for Siddha Vision-2025 to be taken up for the state’s mega project 'Vision -2025'.

The blueprint is extensively dealing with a plan of action aimed at facilitating an integrated development of the age old Siddha healing system in the entire state of Tamil Nadu as well as the places where Tamil people are settled, said Dr T Thirunarayanan, secretary of CTMR.

Drawing inputs from experts of Siddha community comprising skilled physicians, specialized and traditional healers, therapists, regulatory experts and drug manufacturers, the Vision document was prepared and it was approved and voted for submission by the approval committee constituted by the Centre, he said. The document will be submitted to the Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa shortly, to be included in the ‘Tamil Nadu-Vision 2025’.

Copy of the proposal will be sent to the secretary of Ayush department in New Delhi for his perusal. Dr Thirunarayanan has been selected to the Committee of working group on Ayush for the 12th Five Year Plan.

According to him, Siddha medicine is primarily based on complete balanced outlook to life through diet, lifestyle and practices that promote harmonious healthy living.  So there should be an initiative from every corner to assure the conditions in which the people can become hale and hearty by following Siddha methods of treatment. Besides, creation of an environment suited for the growth of Siddha medicine is required to cater to the needs of the people across the world, he told pharmabiz.

The blueprint also suggests for efforts to promote Siddha treatment as a component of health tourism. It tries to underline the fact that Siddha medicine was found effective in curing common ailments and prevention of anaemia, malnutrition, dermatological disorders and non-communicable diseases like diabetes. There is pain relief through Varma in the system.

Further proposal in the blueprint is that traditional medicines like Siddha have to be encouraged in India as they are available at cheaper rates than allopathic medicines. So measures are to be taken to that end.

While advocating the efficacy of the drugs, Dr Thirunarayanan wants expansion of Siddha services in every village in the state. He also mentions in his plan of action that Siddha treatment should be included in the health insurance packages of the state.

The report recommends for constitution of committees to study adverse drug reaction (pharmacovigilance for Siddha), drug-drug reaction and food-drug reaction.

Regarding production of drugs, the blueprint says that the manufacturing industry should maintain document for all its processes from collection of raw-materials to the final stage of packaging. During drug development process, there should be collaboration among industry, academia and physicians, it says.