• IMPROVEMENT AND UPGRADATION OF STANDARDS OF EDUCATION IN ISM&H
• STADARDISATION OF DRUGS
• ENHANCING THE AVAILABILITY OF RAW MATERIALS I.E. MEDICINAL PLANTS, MINERALS AND MATERIALS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN ETC.
• INFORMATION EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION
• INVOLVEMENT OF ISM&H IN THE NATIONAL HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM, NATIONAL HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE PROGRAMMES

@ includes 26 Amchi Dispensaries

# excludes 81 closed pharmacies of Ayurveda and Unani in UP for which break-up is not available.

$ = includes admission capacity for Graded Degree & Diploma Courses

* As per the information received from CCIM on 14.6.2000

    There are four Research Councils under the Department; namely,

1. Central Council for Research in Ayurveda & Siddha (CCRAS)-36 Institutions/ Units
2. Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) –32 Institutions/ Units
3. Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH)-51 Institutions/ Units
4. Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy (CCRY&N)

    These four Research Councils are having units in all parts of the country and are engaged in the following areas of Research and Development:

1. Health Care Research
2. Drug Research
3. Drug Standardisation
4. Medico Botanical Survey
5. Tribal Health Research
6. Cultivation of Medicinal plants
7. Literary Research
8. Family Welfare Research

    The Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha has patented three formulations ( one each for Malaria, Epilepsy and Psoriasis) and fifteen processes for isolates of Ayurveda from herbs.

    The Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine has perfected drugs for specific skin ailments and in particular leucoderma, hepatitis and filariasis and filed patents for 7 drugs.

    The Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy has carried out extensive research particularly on behaviour disorders, bronchial asthma, the management of HIV/AIDS and encouraging results have been reported.

    The standardisation of drugs and quality control are important factors in the treatment of ISM&H. All the pharmacopoeia committees were activated to expedite preparation of standards for Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy drugs. This has led to significant progress.

    ‘Good Manufacturing Practices’ for ISM drugs has recently been published. Voluntary scheme for certification of quality is being encouraged.

    A memorandum of Understanding has been signed on 15^th May, 2000 between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine with a view to drawing upon the strength of CSIR to help the Unani Medicine laboratories to standardise the drugs and improve their processing techniques. The priority is to patent drugs which have proven efficacy and which can be brought into the market and to enter into a similar collaboration for Ayurveda also.

    In addition to the research being conducted by the apex research councils of the ISM&H, extra-mural research projects were also sanctioned and several organisations were accredited for research purposes. Twenty two research projects have been sanctioned during 1997-98 to 1999-2000 and more and more institutes are expected to come forward.

    Another important area of concern is the need to undertake much more focussed research. Indian systems have a particular strength to cater for preventive health and this includes stress management, immunomodulation, reproductive health and geriatric problems, clinical research into therapeutic claims is being taken up now in allopathic institutions like AIIMS, PGI Chandigarh, JIPMER Pondicherry, the J.J.Hospital, Mumbai as well as some private hospitals. Of particular significance are the phase II trials being conducted into the efficacy of Pippaliyadi Yoga, a herbal contraceptive drug, long accepted in Ayurveda and proved to have 98 per cent efficacy in the Council’s research.

    A number of time-tested Ayurvedic & Unani drugs are sought to be introduced under RCH programme. Collaborative efforts with modern hospitals will be initiated for testing the efficacy in the Council’s research.

    A number of time-tested Ayurvedic & Unani drugs are sought to be introduced under RCH programme. Collaborative efforts with modern hospitals will be initiated for testing the efficacy of our system in the management of certain diseases.

    The Department has decided to strengthen the State Drug Testing Laboratories and State Pharmacies to handle plant based material. These days people are most worried about presence of microbial Contamination, heavy metal contents and non permissible chemical substance. To overcome this, the Department is bringing forward a quality marking scheme which will be open to manufacturers to join on a voluntary basis, whereby certification will be available from designated laboratories, about the content of the formulations. This will substantially allay public fears about quality of medicines.

    A Traditional Knowledge Digital Library on medicinal plants is being established with the help of patent examiners deputed by the Ministry of Industry, the CSIR and the National Informatics Centre are also helping the Department. The entire Ayurvedic and Unani knowledge is being translated on a website giving the therapeutic uses of plants. This is being done with a view to documenting information, preserving knowledge which is the pubic domain and making it capable of being retrieved. This will help decide whether the claim is a novelty or an invention.

    It is planned to set up a National Medicinal Plant Board. The Board would provide focussed attention to the medicinal plants sector to enhance availability of quality raw materials for the manufacture of drugs for indigenous consumption and export. It will also ensure concerted efforts under single co-ordinating agency covering all aspects relating to cultivation, marketing, conservation and sustained availability of Medicinal plants.

    A Task Force on Conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants set up under the chairmanship of Member, Planning Commission, Dr. D.N.Tiwari submitted its report. Ministry of Environment & Forests, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Family Welfare, Department of Biotechnology, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research and Department of ISM&H have been assigned specific responsibilities for undertaking conservation of medicinal plants, cultivation of endangered and valuable species, establishment of Vanaspati Vans, improving awareness, improving standardisation and Research & Development. The nodal responsibility for medicinal plants has been given to the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine & Homoeopathy. A Monitoring Committee is being set up to co-ordinate all activities.

    There are two regulatory bodies, namely, the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) and the Central Council of Homoeopathy (CCH), whose main functions are to lay down the minimum standards of education and to register the practitioners of the respective systems. These are elected bodies and they also lay down the code of conduct and ethics for the physician.

    In order to establish institutes of excellence and provide a model for others to follow, the following national institutes for each system have been set up:

• NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AYURVEDA (NIA)- JAIPUR
• NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF UNANI MEDICINE (NIUM)- BANGALORE
• NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HOMOEOPATHY (NIH) – CALCUTTA
• NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NATUROPATHY (NIN)- PUNE
• MORARJI DESAI NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF YOGA (MDNIY)- NEW DELHI
• RASHTRIYA AYURVEDA VIDYAPEETH (RAV)- NEW DELHI
• NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SIDDHA – CHENNAI

    For a long, the need for trained manpower in the field of Pharmacy in ISM&H sector has been felt and efforts were made to evolve a suitable strategy ( a mechanism) of regulating the education and practice in the sector. The 5thConference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare, and also the State Health Ministers Conference on ISM&H has stressed the need for bringing standard in the field. Trained manpower in the sector is mostly needed for scientific dispensing, manufacturing of drugs, enforcing the Drug laws etc. The department has set up expert committees to find a way, and based on the recommendation the Department is in the process of bringing a suitable legislation for constitution of:

1. Pharmacy Council of Homoeopathy
2. Pharmacy Council of Indian Medicine.

    Considering the importance of information, education and communication steps were taken to finalise two schemes. NGOs have been involved for the first time for promotion of the ISM&H and necessary assistance provided to them.

    The technical back up to the Pharmacopoeial Committees is being provided by two Government drug testing laboratories, namely the Pharmacopoeial Laboratory (HPL) both located at Ghaziabad and functioning as subordinate offices of this Department. These two laboratories need to be strengthened adequately.

    The quality of drugs is very important. The Government of India have set up a Public Sector Undertaking namely Indian Medicines Pharmaceuticals Corporation Limited (IMPCL) in Almorah district of Uttar Pradesh for manufacturing of quality Ayurveda and Unani drugs. It is a joint venture with the U.P.Government with a paid up capital of Rs. one crore. The board of the Company has been reconstituted recently in 1998. The company has been making profits. At present the company is supplying drugs to only Central Government Health Scheme dispensaries and hospitals, Research Councils of the Departments, State Governments and also in the open market at a low level. The products are of good quality. There is a tremendous scope to improve the working of the company by providing additional inputs. A proposal for Modernisation of the Corporation has been finalised by the Department. The proposal is awaiting approval of the Cabinet.