Demanding a drastic policy change in the administrative machinery of Indian Systems of Medicines in state levels, the Tamil Nadu branch of the Indian Drugs Manufacturers Association (TN IDMA) has decided to approach the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) requesting to bring in a special rule to recruit qualified and experienced persons from any branch of the Indian system of medicines to be appointed as Director/Commissioner of the ISM department in each state.

TN IDMA will also request other state units of the IDMA to represent the Union government with the same demand, besides approaching respective state governments. In Tamil Nadu, the state unit of the IDMA is linked with all the associations of the traditional medicine manufacturers and it works as an umbrella organisation.

The association has taken this significant decision in the wake of the deteriorating situation prevailing in the ISM sector in Tamil Nadu where the ISM department head is not taking any upbeat step for the industry’s growth, commented the chairman of the association. He alleged that the major reason for the apathy of the senior administrator is ignorance about traditional medicines. If a person from the same field undertakes the responsibility of the Commissioner, the situation will prosper, said M Rajaratinam, the chairman of TN IDMA.

According to him, senior level IAS officers working as directors/commissioners for ISM, are coming from different backgrounds, and they do not know much about Indian medicine industry. Also, they are not interested to work for the development of traditional medicines, but are supporters and followers of modern system. In the memorandum to the prime minister, the association will mention these points and apprise the prime minister of the existing situation in the country, especially in Tamil Nadu.

“If a person with a background of Indian medicine is posted as the commissioner/director, he will take positive steps for the growth of the industry because he knows everything about the industry, medicines and the treatments. Further, he will be capable of taking the state level problems in the industry to the central Ayush department and discuss in matters related to treatments under traditional systems. The directors/commissioners hailing from other backgrounds may not even fully know the drugs and cosmetics act/rules. Unlike other sectors in health area, the traditional and herbal medicines are a different sect which can be taken forward only by a person with full knowledge in it”, said Rajaratinam.

Moreover, the IAS officers are often tenacious in enforcing the act and rules without considering the history of the growth of traditional systems like Siddha, Ayurveda, Unani etc. He quoted the example of Tamil Nadu ISM Commissionerate where the commissioner has stopped issuing new licences and product enforcement certificates for the last several years, due to which the industry has now reached a sticky situation. This happens mainly because of  commissioner’s apathy in dealing with matters and inability to find solutions for complicated problems. The central Ayush department remains as a mute spectator of this horrific situation.

Accusing lack of concern by the successive ISM commissioners as the only reason for the decline of traditional medicine sector in Tamil Nadu despite the state government spending a lot of funds towards its promotion, the chairman said the system will no longer prosper as long as the bureaucratic set up continues in the state.

“The traditional medicine sector will thrive provided the government appoints a qualified professional from the same field. It can be from the regulatory side or academia or practitioners of ISM. They are knowledgeable persons, working in the same field and interested to promote the system. Government is spending huge sum of money for the promotion of Indian medicines and research every year. But nothing fruitful is happened here, no assessment is also held. The bureaucrats assuming full power and sitting on the top is deciding everything without knowing anything about the sector which comprises the industry, academia and treatment. If a change should happen to this, people of the industry, researchers and the graduates of the Indian systems, especially those from siddha community should rise up and put a demand to the government for a policy change. The TN IDMA is ready to support them. A consortium of all associations representing traditional medicines should approach the central government for a policy change in the national level in this regard”, he opined.