The annual report of the Centre for Traditional Medicines and Research (CTMR) shows that lack of allocation of fund from Ayush department has paralysed all the activities of the Centre for the last one year. However, digitalization work of palm leaf manuscripts of Siddha system will go on for another few months.

The report says that the Centre is engaged in the activities of mainstreaming of traditional medicines in public health by way of creating awareness about the age old Indian systems of healing, developing cost effective treatment protocols and promotion of researches in the field. Further, it helps and supports cultivation and conservation of medicinal plants.

While briefing Pharmabiz, CTMR secretary Dr T Thirunarayanan said his organisation feels it necessary to take the services of Ayush to the marginalized people of the lower strata of the society and create awareness about a healthy lifestyle through traditional medicines and food system prescribed in the texts. The Centre has initiated so many projects with a view to promote the Siddha system in Tamil Nadu, but lack of funds from the government has frozen the second and third phases of its projects which were welcomed by all sections of the society.

The Centre runs two primary healthcare centres, one in Kanchipuram district and another one in Salem district. It also operates a mobile clinic at Kanchipuram. About 10,000 people are benefited by these facilities, and medicines and medical services are provided free of cost to the people. The shortage of fund has severely affected these health activities, he added.

Last year, 160 bundles of palm leaf manuscripts collected from individual healers from various places in Tamil Nadu were digitalized. The bundles contained the work of 257 Siddha healers who lived 5000 years ago. “The work of collection of palm leaf manuscripts and the digitalization work are herculean task and it requires financial support. Currently, we are engaged in the digitalization work of further 367 bundles. This is a continuous process, without money we cannot take it forward,” Dr Thirunarayanan told Pharmabiz.

The objective of conserving the palm leaf manuscripts is to hand over the traditional knowledge to the posterity. Very few people have the expertise to read the writings on the palm leaves, particularly those in verse style. CTMR has conducted training programs to Siddha physicians, students of botany and Tamil literatures to read and interpret the palm scripts. Training in groups was conducted at the Madras Christian College, and at the facilities of CTMR.

As part of its medicinal plant cultivation project, the organisation, in association with managements of schools, started ‘school herbal gardens’ in five cities. One such garden was set up at the Institute of child health in Chennai. Further, one hundred people were trained in setting up home herbal gardens, says the annual report.

In 2013, the Centre plans to introduce a three-pronged strategy to introduce health education on traditional systems in schools and colleges, said Dr Thirunarayanan.