Meet at Courtallam to document traditional medical practices

News in The Hindu- News paper
TIRUNELVELI: To formally document the traditional medical practices being followed by the folk healers of the land with the locally available plants to cure a range of diseases and poisonous bites, particularly from southern Tamil Nadu, the Union Government is organising a meet at Courtallam on January 8.
G. Subash Chandran, faculty member, Government Siddha Medical College, Palayamkottai, told ‘The Hindu' here on Wednesday that the Indian traditional medicine had a long history of use in addressing the health needs of people of this country apart from the institutionally trained doctors of Siddha, since many folk healers have been delivering health care, particularly in remote areas, with locally available plants.
Ever since the registration of Indian medical practitioners has been stopped, many children of traditional practitioners with a long heritage have shifted to other vocations.
Decreasing strength
This has led to slow erosion in the number of practitioners and also with them the strong knowledge base of healing lying with each of the traditional healer's families.
In order to revitalise the traditional health practices which are certainly cost effective and safe, Department of AYUSH, Government of India has implemented a scheme of documenting, validation and revitalisation of these traditions through NGOs.
Chennai-based Centre for Traditional Medicine and Research (CTMR) and Siddha Health Foundation (SHF) are carrying out these projects in different districts of Tamil Nadu.
Siddha Health Foundation is carrying out the documentation of the knowledge base in southern Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu in Tirunelveli and Virudhunagar districts. As part of the revitalization programme a traditional healers' meet is organised jointly by SHF and CTMR on January 8 at Sri Parasakthi College of Women, Courtallam.
About 100 traditional healers and 25 institutionally trained experts including teaching faculty members of Government Siddha Medical College, Palayamkottai would participate in the event and share their experiences.
This would facilitate in bringing out the closely kept secrets of healing which would also be reviewed.
Topics would include mother and child health, bone setting, varma, treatment of poisonous bites etc., Dr. Subash Chandran said.
H. Malleshappa, Project Director of Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve will inaugurate the meet as most of the healers depend on the medicinal plant resources from the fringe area of this famous sanctuary.
S. Usman Ali, Director of CTMR will deliver the keynote address while Dr. T. Appranantham, the research project leader of SHF will explain the salient features points of the research findings and M. Murugesan, Dean of the National Institute of Siddha will deliver the valedictory address. T. Thirunarayanan, secretary of CTMR and organising secretary of the meet can be contacted at 9444018158.