Performance of NEIAH satisfactory: Shripad Naik

Union Minister Shripad Yesso Naik today said the performance of the North East Institute of Ayurveda and Homeopathy (NEIAH) was "satisfactory".

Laying the foundation stone for the construction of the second phase of NEIAH at a cost of Rs 40.8 crore here, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush expressed hope that the institute will produce quality human resources which will directly benefit the health care system of the region.

"This will also motivate people for cultivation and preservation of valuable medicinal plants in the region and it will be possible to promote and preserve the traditional knowledge of folk medicine," Naik said.

He said that AYUSH has the potential for development of the entire North East region through health care, medical tourism and international trade for cultivation, processing and marketing of medical plant based on the available flaura and fauna in the climatic condition of the region.

The Ayush ministry is providing necessary support to raise the institute(NEIAH) to a 'centre of excellence', the Union Minister said, adding that the institution is investing itself in sensitising AYUSH system in the North East region.

He also informed that the institute is also going to undertake Panchakarma technician training as a skilled development programme for the youth of the NE region.

Claiming Panchakarma to be one of the most effective healing modality in ayurvedic medicine, Naik said this combined therapy has the ability to heal many serious diseases.

He also added that integration of different medical practices and cross reference among them are going to open new horizon to combat non-communicable diseases.

The minister opined that the NEIAH can be the hub for researches in Ayurveda and folk medicine for the entire South East Asia.

"Academic leadership seriously think the ideas of inter-disciplinary research and translating research for economic development of the region," he said, while appreciating the presence of premier Central institutes like NEHU, NIT Shillong and IIM in close vicinity which he said can aid in researches for better health care in the region.

Joint secretary in the Ayush ministry Roshan Jaggi said that Ayush is very keen to strengthen the basic medical infrastructure of the institutes in the Northeast region so that good health care is easily accessible to the people of the region.

"The Ayush ministry has plans to organise International fair for medicinal plant entrepreneurs and experts to explore the biodiversity in the field. This kind of fairs will help in adding value to their products and establish chains for export of these medicines," he said.