Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Booster dose for medicinal plants

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala should formulate an action plan for promoting medicinal plant cultivation, Chief Executive Officer of the National Medicinal Plants Board B.S. Sajwan has said. He was inaugurating the valedictory session of the two-day national seminar on medicinal plants at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Bio-technology here on Friday.

Mr. Sajwan said that he held discussions with the officials of the Agriculture and Health Departments in this regard. The Department of Ayush had cleared a Rs.7.2-crore project to take up cultivation of medicinal plants by replacing eucalyptus plantations in the State and to rope in tribals for the purpose.

A sum of Rs.10 crore had been allocated to set up 53 units in the State under Ayush Industry Cluster programme. Mr. Sajwan said the Union government had sanctioned Rs.630-crore project on Thursday to boost medicinal plant cultivation. Listing the initiatives taken by Department of Ayush to promote traditional systems of medicine, the CEO said a scientific data base needed to be created. Also, increasing demand for trained doctors and manufacturing problems needed to be addressed.

“If Ayurveda is to be taken to the West, evidence on its efficacy should be provided as people will ask for it. Although our system of medicine is holistic and time-tested, those in the West are concerned about the safety of the drugs,” he said. The department is getting requests from all over the world for trained Ayurveda doctors.

A professional cadre of Ayurveda doctors is needed to act as the ‘ambassadors.’ Research and development activities need to be strengthened. Thrust areas have been identified for seeking support from R&D institutions. At the function, executive vice-president of KSCSTE, E.P. Yesodharan released the book ‘Prathama Susrushayum Lakhu Chikitssakalum’ by handing over a copy to Mr. Sajwan.

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