The Indian Siddha Medical Graduates Association (ISMGA) has taken exception to the Union Ayush Ministry’s decision of not including Siddha system into the proposed Ayush Wellness Centre at the President of India’s Estate (Rashtrapathi Bhavan) in New Delhi.

The association has appealed to the Union minister of state for Ayush to reconsider the decision and include the traditional classical medical system originated centuries ago in Tamil Nadu into the proposed project. According to ISMGA, all other Ayush systems have found place in the project, but somehow, Siddha has been excluded.

According to information received, each system in the soon-to-be-started Wellness Centre will have all facilities including medically and technically qualified personnel to handle each department. Notification for recruitment of various medical and paramedical staff has already been made by the concerned authorities under the ministry.

While talking to Pharmabiz, the Siddha expert and member of the newly constituted Technical Advisory Board for Ayush (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha Drugs Technical Advisory Board - AUSDTAB), Dr T Thirunarayanan, alleged that Siddha is being excluded or sidelined everywhere and this approach has to be stopped.. He further pointed out that advisors have been posted for all Ayush systems in the Ayush ministry except for Siddha. So far, the post of advisor for Siddha has not been created. The Siddha Medical Graduates Association and the Centre for Traditional Medicines and Research (CTMR) in Chennai have jointly demanded to the minster of ayush to appoint an advisor for the system under the ministry without delay, said Dr Thirunarayanan, who is also the advisor of ISMGA.

Urging the government for packages for promoting Siddha system in the national level, the association has wanted the ministry to push the state governments of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Karnataka, Bihar, UP, West Bengal and Delhi for launching Siddha wings in their healthcare institutions. As a first step, Siddha medical units can be started in the states’ capitals and in major cities. This will help the Tamil people living in each city as well as others to experience the unique strength of the age old healing system, the association suggested.

The association has brought into the notice of the minister that it had earlier given representation demanding technical audit of the National Institute of Siddha (Chennai) and of the Central Council of Research in Siddha. But, so far no step has been taken by the concerned authorities in this regard, they said by assuring that ISMGA is ready to undertake any activity or project for upgrading Siddha into national and international level.