AYUSH Minister announces major initiatives to push AYUSH in northeast

The Union Minister of AYUSH and Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announced a slew of major initiatives for promotion of AYUSH in Arunachal Pradesh recently.

Speaking at the North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Folk Medicine Research (NEIAFMR) at Pasighat, the minister announced an investment of Rs 53.72 crores to develop new infrastructure within the campus. A new Ayurveda college with a student intake of 30 as well as a 60-bedded Ayurveda hospital will be set up inside the NEIAFMR campus at Pasighat bringing employment of 86 posts, in addition to the existing capacity. An academic block, a boys hostel, a girls hostel, sports complex are also being planned to be constructed in the near future.

Addressing the gathering, Sonowal said, “Folk medicine is the mixture of traditional healing practices and beliefs. In northeast, we have a strong culture of folk medicine which has not been preserved in a scientific way. We are now striving towards preserving as well as enriching this gift of medicine from Vedic era that mother nature has bestowed upon us. I am happy to announce the establishment of new Ayurveda college along with a hospital here. This is going to further strengthen our effort through NEIAFMR to preserve and further the rich traditional knowledge.”

Elucidating about the future plans for propagation of AYUSH sector in the north-east region, Sonowal further added, “Apart from strengthening our Ayurveda colleges in the region, a few other important institutes like Regional Raw Drug Repository (RRDR) and Museum, Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility (SAIF), State of Art Panchakarma Treatment and Research Centre, and Paramedical Teaching Centre are planned to be set up in the region in due course.”

The North Eastern Institute of Folk Medicine (NEIFM), Pasighat, which is renamed as North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Folk Medicine Research is an autonomous National Institute under the Ministry of AYUSH. The establishment of the institute, spread over an area of 40 acres, was approved by the union cabinet on 21st February, 2008. NEIAFMR has been established with the goal to strengthen and develop traditional healthcare practices and for the benefit of the nation, with special focus on north-eastern region. The institute intends to introduce Ayurveda system of medicine in north-eastern region in general, and in Arunachal Pradesh, in particular, document and assess local health traditions, healing knowledge, drugs therapeutic product development based on traditional knowledge, protection of traditional knowledge through IPR regime, support conservation and sustainable use of traditional practices, biodiversity, etc.