AIIA signs MoU with IIT to boost research in traditional medicine

A premier institute of Ayurveda under the AYUSH Ministry today signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology here to boost research in traditional medicine and streamline hospital care facilities in the country.

The memorandum of understanding was signed at a two-day conference of heads of the AYUSH National Institutes organised by the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) aimed at upgrading the national institutes of traditional medicine at par with the IITs and IIMs.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), Shripad Yesso Naik said that the AYUSH Ministry envisioned developing the AYUSH National Institutes as "light house" institutions.

"In view of the worldwide changing healthcare system, it has become abundantly clear that there is a need for comprehensive review of traditional systems of medicine in terms of policy, legislation, regulation, research, development, financing, training and professional development, quality control and safety regulations of these systems of medicine," Naik said.

The minister said that Ayurveda is more oriented towards the management of lifestyle disorders, which are in prominence due to stress-related phenomena and some other reasons among certain age groups in the society.

Secretary AYUSH Rajesh Kotecha emphasised upon developing benchmarks for traditional medicine practices and a need for elevating status of such institutes to deliver in the areas of education and research.

IIT-Delhi Director V R Rao urged upon bringing together the faculty and students of both the institutes together to develop collaborative proposals that help in validating the traditional practices.

He stressed upon the need for understanding, analysing and validating the ancient wisdom by using available scientific tools.

The protocols on development of Standard Operating Procedures on pre-conceptional and pre-natal care through Ayurveda and standard operating procedures Uttara Vasti were released during the session.

Vice chancellors of the Gujarat Ayurved University, Uttarakhand Ayurved University, and Directors of Institute for Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Jamnagar, National Institute of Homoeopathy, Kolkata; Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, New Delhi, among others, were present at the event.