Centre to learn from other countries how traditional medicine can be popularised: Modi

The Prime Minister was speaking at the third Global Ayurveda Festival in Kozhikode

Centre will learn from the experience of other countries and ensure that Ayurveda and other Indian systems are propagated and popularised, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

While speaking at the third Global Ayurveda Festival in Kozhikode, the Prime Minister said that his Government is committed to promote the use of traditional medicine in country's Public Health System through regulation of research and appropriate integration of quality products, practices, and practitioners into the health system.

"Our efforts are to tap the real potential of Ayurveda and other AYUSH systems in imparting preventive, promotive and holistic healthcare to the people. We will maximise the utilisation of Ayurveda and Yoga and other traditions of healing in accordance with their genius and acumen and help promotion of integrative medical facilities," said the Prime Minister. He said that young entrepreneurs who are planning a start-up could find a lot of opportunities in holistic healthcare.

He added traditional medicine is affordable to many of the rural people and that it is locally available to the communities, time-tested for its safety and efficacy. Above all, Modi said, it imbibes the culture and eco-system of the communities within which it grows.

"In many parts of developing countries, traditional medical practices are the only resources of healthcare within the physical and financial reach of the poor people. It is therefore even more important that we ensure the quality of these systems," said the Prime Minister.

He noted there have been great efforts in China to develop and establish policies and regulations for promoting the safe use of traditional Chinese Medicine, which comprises a large chunk of the international trade of complementary and alternative medicine.

"We would like to offer our institutions as referral centres for training, capacity building and information & technology exchange programs in Ayurveda and other AYUSH systems," he said.

The Prime Minister said the real potential of Ayurveda remains untapped because of many reasons and most importantly because of inadequate scientific scrutiny and concerns regarding standards and quality.

The National AYUSH Mission has been started to promote AYUSH medical systems through cost effective AYUSH services, strengthening of educational systems, facilitating the enforcement of quality control of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani & momoeopathy drugs and sustainable availability of raw-materials.

For quality control of AYUSH drugs, steps are being taken to bring regulatory amendments for effective enforcement and strengthening the regulatory framework at the Central and State levels, he said.