Tamil Nadu will soon become the first state in the country to launch the national scheme to be implemented by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for Accreditation and Certification of Prior Learning (ACPL) of the country’s traditional health practitioners. The University will honour the traditional healers with an award, ‘Grama Vaidya’.

ACPL is a scheme to certify and award the country’s genuine traditional healers who have been practising traditional system for years in the villages applying indigenous method supported by herbal drugs. The age old practitioners in the families who were trained by their ancestors and continue with the traditional knowledge of practice now are targeted for honouring the award ‘Grama Vaidya’. University is planning to introduce the project as a pilot study in 8 states in India including Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Orissa, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

The project takes its course for the first time in Tamil Nadu and the Chennai based Centre for Traditional Medicines and Research (CTMR) has been identified as the coordinator for implementing the scheme in the state.

While briefing about the programme, Dr T Thirunarayanan, the Secretary of CTMR, said initially the scheme is implemented in Vellore district and multi-stakeholders consultative meeting was held in Chennai recently to discuss the subject of Minimum Standards of Competency (MSC) to be developed for implementation of the IGNOU scheme. He said advertisements have been given in vernacular news papers in the district inviting applications from traditional healers to select for the award. Out of the 50 applications the Centre received, 23 have been rejected due to bogus claims and mismatch between age and experience. Functional literacy and 10 years experience are the minimum qualifications required for the selection of the award, he said.

The University introduces the ACPL programme with a well planned scheme, for that it entered into an agreement with Quality Council of India (QCI) and Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (FRLTH). The scheme of the IGNOU is financed by the Department of Ayush.

Dr Thirunarayanan said the standards to test the traditional treatment methods of the healers will be set by FRLTH and QCI will prepare the parameters required for recognition. CTMR will give training to develop minimum standards and a five member special medical team consisting institutionally trained physicians will assess the standards of the applicants through several methods including oral tests. The healers will have to demonstrate their practical skills before the panel.

The ACPL will include five traditional methods of treatment like jaundice treatment, performing midwifery, fixing bone fractures, treating skin diseases and snake bites.

According to CTMR this combined effort of IGNOU and Ayush department may be considered as an official recognition for the services rendered by traditional health practitioners in rural areas, and so far there is no national or state programme to include them into the ambit of community health workers.

When asked whether the qualified and registered ISM practitioners will object the ACPL awards by IGNOU as the scheme is likely to block their opportunities in the rural areas, Dr Thirunarayanan responded that there was shortage of qualified ISM doctors in the state to fulfill the needs of the villagers.