Four ministers launch AYUSH course

By Rabiya Bashir

Srinagar, Apr 17: For the first time in the valley, the state government on Monday launched a Post-graduation course in Unani Medicine in Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine in Srinagar.

The PG course has strength of 14 seats for the Unani students in Pharmacology and Unani Medicine. Out of 14 seats, 7 seats are for Pharmacology and the rest are for the Unani Medicine subject.

The course was launched by Union Minister of State in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Health and Medical Education, Bali Baghat, Minister of State for Health and Medical Education, Housing & Urban Development Department, Social Welfare, Asiea Naqash and Union Minister of State for AYUSH Sripad Yesso Naik.

While speaking on the occasion, Jitendra Singh said that the Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine will be one of the unique institutes in the entire South Asian region.

“It is a working towards the integration of Ayush practitioners into the fold of modern medicine to help meet its goal of health coverage. We have a separate ministry of AYUSH. After the advent of modern medicine we have an alternative Unani medicine,” he said.

He also said that diabetes at a younger age is a bigger challenge in the state and with the help of Unani medicine, diseases like diabetes can be treated. “We have various non-communicable diseases and Unani medicine could prove helpful for the people. We could even have combined OPD’s. Unani treatment will be beneficial especially for the people who have to go to the paediatric and knee surgeries.”

Bali Baghat, Minister of State for Health and Medical Education, Housing & Urban Development Department said that the world has changed and people are preferring Unani Medicine. “I am happy that we restored two Unani colleges which were almost defunct.

Highlighting the importance of Unani Medicine in the state, which he said has “no side-effects or after-effects.”

“We have also submitted a proposal worth 20 crores to start a medicinal plant industry in the state. People in Jammu and Kashmir prefer Unani medicine and we will provide help to boost this field,” he said.

On the occasion, Social Welfare Minister Asiea Naqash said: “I will take a lead in getting the land for the upliftment of the Unani Medicine in the state. We have already one college at District Ganderbal and other at Shalteng in the valley. We need to promote it further.”

Stressing on the importance of Traditional Medicine, the Union Minister of State for AYUSH, Shripad Yesso Naik said, “The traditional medicine has a great importance in our state and it has been accepted widely in the valley.”