Training on Deciphering Tamil Siddha Manuscripts

CTMR organizes a Three day training for Siddha Physicians- both Institutionally trained and Traditional healers on deciphering Tamil Siddha Palm Manuscripts from 8th March 2012 to 10th March 2012 at its Lecture Hall, 24, Anna Nagar Main Road, Puzhuthiwakkam , Chennai- 600091. Vidwan.N.Srinivasan will be the Key Trainer.

The training would cover - Basic Tamil Grammar, different style of letter usage, different dialects used, synonyms of  terms, tools for interpretations, methodology and hands on reading session of Palm Manuscripts.

Only 15 trainees will be accommodated in this batch.

There will be no fees for the registration.
Selected trainees have to bear their travel and lodging expenses.


Closing Date of Registration is 29th Feb- 2012.

Register by e-mail - ttn64@sify.com
Telephone ;044-22533399/22600440, 9444018158

CTMR, Chennai opposes inclusion of Ayush streams into NCHRH; demands separate commission

Strongly disagreeing with the growing demand for the inclusion of Ayush streams in the proposed National Commission for Human Resources in Health (NCHRH), the Chennai-based Centre for Traditional Medicines and Research (CTMR) has said that the Ayush streams should not be incorporated in the NCHRH as it is being created to regulate the regulators like MCI, PCI, NCI, DCI etc, which have witnessed gross mismanagement and corruption during the last some years. CTMR is an organisation giving training and guidance for Siddha practitioners. In an exclusive interview with Pharmabiz, the secretary of the Centre, Dr T Thirunarayanan said, “There is already a proposal for creating a separate National Commission for Human Resources in Ayush which is included in the 12th five-year plan. NCHRH is primarily an umbrella organization of regulatory bodies such as medical council, pharmacy council, nursing council and other para-medicals based on bio-medicine approach. A separate commission for Ayush human resources--medical, panchakarma therapist, Ayush pharmacist, Ayush nursing etc- is needed. If we are within the NCHRH, we will not get the desired focus and Ayush will be the last priority area in such a combined commission.” Dr Thirunarayanan, who is also a member of the working group of Ayush for 12th Five Year Plan, said CTMR wanted the parliamentary committee to expedite the formation of NCHRH in Ayush, and added that the Commission would not be a regulatory body but a facilitating body for establishing the best standards in Ayush education, management and services. The ISM sector will be better off when it comes under a separate commission. But, this does not mean that the Ayush sector does not want to be collocated or be part of the mainstream, he maintained. When asked whether the exclusion of Ayush would adversely affect the growth and promotion of Siddha system in Tamil Nadu or in the national level, the doctor said it has nothing to do with collocation of Ayush services in hospitals or primary health centres. The separate commission will in fact help enhance education, standards and Ayush services, he added. “Today Ayush has more number of colleges than bio-medicine. But, quality is not as desired. If bio-medicine and Ayush are there under the same commission, the chance for becoming one against the other is higher, and finally the big brother will try to dominate Ayush,” the Siddha trainer opined. To another query if any demand for inclusion of Ayush has been made by any ISM organisation in Tamil Nadu, he said so far no organisation in his state has raised such a demand. Further he said the demand of the Ayurveda community in Kerala is not justifiable or legitimate as they forget the history and growth of traditional medicines in India and the formation of research councils like ICMR, CCRIM, CCRAS/CCRUM -split- CCR-AYURVEDA and CCR-SIDDHA. He clarified that the exclusion of Ayush streams would not in any way degenerate the growth of the country’s traditional methods of treatment. In reply to the demand of Ayush industry in Kerala, the CTMR secretary said that if one umbrella Commission is constituted instead of a separate one, within a short span of time, the same team will demand for separation. He asked whether the Ayush physicians are willing to accept the Schedule M norms for drug manufacturing or whether they would follow the international drug laws or GCP guidelines to get Ayush drug licence. According to him, the Ayush hospitals would not accept the same norms for accreditation as laid out for bio-medicine hospitals. When the news about the support of private allopathic doctors demanding ISM sector to be part of NCHRH, Dr Thirunarayanan asked whether they would accept the chairman or co-chairman of Ayush to head the Commission. He said there is no need of outside support for Ayush.

Ayush Dept proposes creation of national commission for human resources to streamline ISM education sector

With a view to streamlining the education sector in the Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM), the Department of Ayush has proposed creation of an overarching regulatory framework by setting up the National Commission for Human Resources in Ayush. The commission is being conceived as an institutional framework to address issues related to regulation, shortage, quality assurance and inequitable availability of Ayush professionals and workforce. The commission will undertake workforce study, formulate action plans and ensure inter-sectoral coordination to promote availability of quality human resources in Ayush including that of yoga & naturopathy, which are so far not regulated /accredited in the country, sources said. The commission has been designed on the lines of the National Commission for Human Resources for Health (NCHRH), being set up to regulate the medical education. The NCHRH would subsume the existing councils like Medical Council of India, Dental Council of India, Nursing Council of India and Pharmacy Council of India. The Department of Ayush is expecting a cost of Rs.125 crore towards the creation of this commission and has sent the proposal to the Planning Commission for consideration and allocation of outlay, sources said. Similarly, the proposed exclusive commission for Ayush sector also will deal with issues related to Ayush paramedical education, HR development and regulation. It will provide autonomous bodies such as National Councils of professionals of each of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, Homoeopathy, Yoga & Naturopathy and National Board for Education, Training and Examinations and Natural Evaluation & Assessment Committee for Indian Systems of Medicine, Homoeopathy, and Yoga & Naturopathy, Nursing in Indian Systems of Medicine/Homoeopathy and courses in pharmacy. “Their head offices would be in Delhi with full time chairpersons and members and part time & nominated members. Appropriate infrastructure and manpower would be required to run the secretariats. This arrangement will help steering educational reforms in Ayush,’’ according to the concept note.

Rapid Health Survey at Kanavaipudur, Omalur Taluk, Salem

CTMR recently carried out a rapid health survey at Kanavaipudur, A village 12 Kms from Bommidi and 7 Kms from Lokur in Omalur Taluk of Salem District of Tamilnadu in the month of Dec 2011. A structured questionnaire, covering, the number of members per household, earning members, children, gender, food habits, personal habits including alcoholism, smoking, paan , housing pattern, Common ailment they suffer from, their place of treatment, health expenditure per month etc was prepared for the interview of the head of the household.  Dr.Thirumagal of CTMR trained the student volunteers of Sri Saradha niketan college of Arts & Science in the interview technique to be adopted.

The following are the key findings.

·         Majority ( All most 100%) are non-vegetarians

• ·         Most own their dwelling place and 70% have RCC housing.
• ·         About 32% of the male are alcoholic
• ·         Smoking habit is there among 22% of the males and there are an equal number of Paan parag users.
• ·         68% use the services of the Private health providers while 12% use ISM and 30% use Public Health facility.
• ·         The Reported incidence of Diabetes is 8% and Hypertension is 4% and Bronchial asthma is 4% While 3% suffer from Ischemic heart disease.
• ·         The Average health expenditure per month is around Rs 500
• ·         But only 4% of the patients of Chronic ailment use Public hospitals while 30% use ISM treatment facilities. Rest of the 66% use Private health facilities run by unqualified rural practitioners.
•  
• CTMR express it heart felt thanks to the participants of the survey and the student volunteers