CTMR – Annual Report- 2012-13

CTMR – Annual Report- 2012-13

Centre for Traditional Medicine & Research (CTMR), is a ‘Voluntary organization’ operational since 2000. The key objectives of CTMR are Mainstreaming Traditional medicine in the area of public health, Creation of awareness, Capacity building by way of training, Developing cost effective treatment protocols based traditional medicine  and promotion of research in traditional medicine including cultivation and conservation of Medicinal plants. The NGO works closely with different Government departments, other institutions and organizations for the above cause.

1.  Public Health Initiatives:

1.1    Primary Health Care :

Almost 80% of the population in the semi-urban areas and 60% of the rural population depend on private health care providers- both qualified as well as unqualified in spite of improvement in Public health delivery infrastructure. Marginalized communities like fishermen, dalits and tribal, who are daily wage earners still find it difficult to utilize the Govt. services due to reasons like loss of wage on the days of hospital visits, distance to the nearest health facility and the timing of the outpatient clinics. There is very limited awareness about disease prevention and treatment through AYUSH systems. CTMR felt it necessary to provide the AYUSH services at the doorstep of such marginalized communities, create awareness about healthy lifestyle, food as envisaged in Traditional Medical systems and reduce health expense burden of these communities. CTMR runs two Primary Health Care Centres (Chinnandikuppam in Kanchipuram district and Kanavaaipudur in Salem District) and a Mobile clinic (Velankaadu in Kanchipuram district). About 10,000 people are benefitted by these intervention, where medical services and medicines are provided free of cost to the beneficiaries. A uniform treatment protocol is developed and followed. The drug list for the centers is based on the ‘Essential drug list’ of Dept. of AYUSH which essentially contains safe plant medicines and they are procured from GMP approved units.  40% of the residents of these adopted villages now solely dependent on AYUSH services, while 40% utilize these services for primary health needs and avail services of other medical facilities for Lab investigations and medical emergencies. 20% have reservations in using traditional medicines. Medical Records are maintained for all registered users. Tamil Nadu Industrial Investment Corporation and AMR Charitable trusts provide partial support for these activities.

1.2    Public Awareness on Healthy Living:

Health Education is of primary importance particularly in prevention and management of Non Communicable Diseases – Lifestyle Disorders. CTMR use a three pronged strategy for health education. Since young student population is attracted to unhealthy processed food due to strong enticing advertisement both in print and visual media, CTMR conducts regular interactive programme in both govt. and private schools and colleges and also conducts health exhibitions including medicinal plants, minor millets, health food and healthy lifestyle. These sessions also cover the ill effects of lack of physical activities, smoking and consumption of alcohol. CTMR volunteers along with Ekam foundation organized awareness programme for health workers and anganwadi workers on ‘Managing common ailments with locally available medicinal plants’ in almost 10 districts of Tamil Nadu during the ‘Joy of Giving Week’. CTMR also conducts interactive sessions for public on diseases like diabetes, hypertension, obesity and cancer along with various residents associations and Community Based Organizations. The Third approach is by a serial of Talk shows on health in Doordarshan – Pothigai sponsored by Ministry of Health and Family welfare. (About 50 shows during the current year) and write-ups in both English and Tamil dailies and magazine including one published from Srilanka.

2.      Documenting Traditional Knowledge.

2.1    Local Health Traditions

Traditional Health Practitioners still put to use the knowledge acquired from their 

forefathers and treat patients with locally available plant resources. This knowledge also helps conservation of the medicinal plant resources. As the continuation of the project of ‘Documentation and Validation of Local Health traditions’ supported by Dept. of AYUSH, further interactions were held with the healers individually and as groups and the peer validation of the practices were carried out in six districts of Tamil Nadu namely, Vellore, Thiruvanamalai, Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Namakkal Preliminary interactions have also been initiated with healers of Villupuram, Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur districts. The use of plants and practices mentioned by the healers were further validated with classical Siddha texts and recent research publications. This compilation is ready for finalization.

2.2    Digitalization of Siddha Palm Manuscripts

During the previous year 160 bundles consisting of 257 works of Siddha Palm Manuscripts collected from individual healers were digitalized with Grant-in- Aid from Dept. of AYUSH and the digital copy along with the catalogue was submitted to Dept. of AYUSH and Siddha Central Research Institute.  The work of collection of Palm manuscripts and digitalization was further continued and currently 367 works are digitalized. This will be a continuous process and requires financial support.

3.  Capacity building

3.1    Training

One day training was conducted for the traditional healers of Salem and Dharmapuri district at Kolathur in Mettur Taluk (August 2012). Management and treatment of common ailments, differential diagnosis in Jaundice, Mother and child health care were covered. 80 healers from this district took part. This was followed by field visit for identification of Medicinal plants.

The Objective of conserving the palm manuscripts is to enable passing on the traditional knowledge to the next generation. Very few people have the expertise to decipher the writings in Palm manuscripts particularly the ones in poetic form. CTMR has conducted training to Siddha physicians, students of plant sciences and Tamil literature to read and interpret the palm manuscripts. Training in groups was conducted at Madras Christian College (Feb 2013) and for individuals at CTMR.

3.2    Workshops

One day interactive session was held for the tribal medicinal plant collectors and growers from Dindigul and Thiruvanamalai districts affiliated to Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems along with Tamil Nadu Siddha Ayurveda Unani Drug manufacturers Association in Apl 2012. The Sustainable collection practices, Good Post harvest handling practices were explained to them.

One day workshop on medicinal plants was conducted in association with Healers association of Kolli hills for the traditional healers at Kolli hills in Namakkal district in May 2012. Healers from Namakkal, Thirupur, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram districts took part

One day workshop was conducted in May 2012 on the ‘Beauty of Siddha Formulations’ in which a large number of practicing Siddha doctors, Post graduate Scholars and Traditional healers participated. The synergy of the ingredients in the formulation to enhance efficacy, safety profile and the ability to enhance the bio-availability was dealt in great details.

One day workshop on identification, propagation and utilization of medicinal plants was conducted for the students of Community College of Agriculture at Sukkankolai farm of the CIKS. 50 students took part in the workshop.

4.  International Training and interactions.

4.1    International Conference;

Dr.T.Thirunarayanan was invited to present a keynote address on Siddha Medicine in the Second international conference of Tibetan Medicine held in Dharmshala in the august presence of H.H.Dalai Lama. There was also a Joint meeting on ‘Impact in Traditional pharmaceutics on UN ban on the use of Mercury’

4.2    Training on Siddha for foreigners

A three days training was conducted in association with Siddha Applied Science Institute at Penang, Malaysia on the ‘Management of lifestyle disorders and common ailments with plant drugs based on the principles of Siddha Medicine in Sept 2012.Forty  participants from Russia, USA, Canada, France, U.K and Switzerland took active part and the trainees continue the learning online.

4.3    A two days interactive session on the ‘Commonalities between Siddha and Tibetan Medicine’ was organized by CTMR along with Mee-See- Khan at Chennai in March 2013. Eighteen Tibetan doctors and 14 Siddha Physicians took part in the interaction. This helped the participants appreciate the common features of the two traditional medical systems and paved way for joint research in the future.

5.  Medicinal Plants

5.1    Institutional Gardens  and Home herbal garden

During the current Year, School herbal garden has been established in five city schools.  Herbal garden has also been initiated in Institute of Child Health Egmore and 100 households were trained in establishment of home herbal garden.

Continuous technical support is rendered to Green kovai- a unit of AIM For Sewa. Technical inputs provided for farmers group affiliated to CIKS and Murugappa Chetty Research Centre.

A survey of the Medicinal Plant Flora of National Institute of Siddha was carried out by Vd.S.Usman Ali along with volunteers of Siddha Maruthuva Mandram, Kalpakkam in Nov 2012 and report presented to the Director.

6.  Research

6.1 A study was carried out on the ‘Role of traditional food with minor millets on Obesity, Hypertension and Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus’ by Dr.T.Thirunarayanan

6.2 A study on the propagation and survival of select medicinal plants by stem cuttings is initiated for three important medicinal plants.

6.3 Three Research Scholars were guided on the ethno botanical studies and Urban garden studies with reference to medicinal plants by Vd.S.Usman Ali.

6.4 Authentic samples of medicinal plant materials were provided to numerous research scholars for carrying out pharmacognostical, phytochemical and toxicological studies. Results are published in their research reports.

6.5 Two students were provided support for studies on Siddha Palm Manuscripts as part of their Ph.D programme by Vidwan N.Srinivasan.

7.  Publications

Two books, ‘Introduction to Siddha Medicine’ in English and ‘Training manual for traditional healers’ were published during the current year. A small booklet on ‘Home Herbal Garden’ was published in association with ‘reStore garden’ a NGO. Manuscripts for two other books are in the pre-press stage. Three research papers of CTMR staff were published in peer reviewed international journals

8.  Advocacy

CTMR has been continuously interacting with Government Departments on the various regulations which have an impact on improving the quality standards of medical services through Traditional Medicine. The organization has enabled the revision of ‘Poisonous drug list, Essential Drug List and the Siddha Dossier of the Dept. of AYUSH. CTMR office bearers  have also participated in stake holders meeting organized by different Govt. Depart on Safe guarding Intellectual Property of Traditional knowledge and promotion of Traditional health food and minor millets. CTMR has also been instrumental in pushing for opening of Urban Siddha Health Centers by Local Govt. Chennai corporation in fact in its current year budget has announced opening of 25 AYUSH centers in Chennai. CTMR has also been advising ISM drug manufacturers on continuous quality improvement.

9.    Resource Management

All units (Office and two Health Centres) are operating from ‘Rent free accommodation’ provided by donors. The fund for procurement of medicine, medical records and dispensing material are provided by AMR trust and TIIC. Local Health Tradition documentation is partially supported by Dept. of AYUSH.  Excepting three junior staff all others render service voluntarily. Most activities are carried out with support from Partner NGOs and deficit of Rs 5, 00,000 is met by office bearers.

Acknowledgement

CTMR is thankful to the following Govt. Department and other organizations for their continuous support

·         Dept. of AYUSH, Govt. of India. New Delhi

·         Tamil Nadu Industrial Investment Corporation, Chennai particularly its Chairman. Mr Md.Nasimuddin ,I.A.S. Mr. A.Mohan , Deputy Gen. Manager & Mrs.S.Sashikala.

·         Mr.P.Arulmudi Chairman, AMR Charitable Trust, Chennai

·         Dr.R.Vijayakumar I.A.S Addl. Chief Secretary –Planning Govt. of Tamil Nadu, Smt.Sheela Rani Chunkath. I.A.S Addl Chief Secretary, Govt. of Tamil Nadu Mr.V.Prabakaran-I.F.S, Chief Conservator of Forest. Tamil Nadu for constant support and guidance for various projects.

·         Dr.K.Manikavasagam- Director, National Institute of Siddha

·         Siddha Applied Science Institute. Malaysia and its founder SriPranaji.

·         Principal, Head of the Dept. of Plant Biology and Biotechnology Madras Christian College, Chennai and Prof.D.Narasimhan 

·         Mr.R.T.Vijayaraghavan Charted Accountant

·         Siddha Physicians– Dr.R.Sudha, Dr.V.Tamilalagan, Dr.T.R.Siddique Ali,

Dr. G.Padmavathy and Dr. R.B.Ramamoorthy.

CTMR Personnel

Name	Area
Vd.S.Usman Ali	President. Research  &  Local Health Tradition
Vidwan. N.Srinivasan	Manuscriptology
Dr.T.Thirunarayanan	Public Health &  Training
Dr.R.Padmapriya	Health awareness & Publication
Dr.S.Rajkumar *	Digitalization of Palm Manuscript
Dr. S.Sangeetha	Public Health Initiative
Dr.Thirumagal	Primary Health Care
Mrs.V.Sundaravalli	Medicinal Plants –Garden initiative
Mr.Adikesavan	Photodocumentation & Palm Manuscript Conservation

Dr.S.Rajkumar *  resigned during the course of the year.

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Contact us:

Secretary,

Centre for Traditional Medicine & Research,

 4A,4^th Cross Street, Mahalakshmi Nagar.

 Adambakkam,

Chennai- 600088.

Ph: 044-22533399

E-Mail: ttn64@sify.com/siddhactmr@gmail.com