Is Primary health care possible through Siddha

On an informal discussion a senior Indian Administrative Service officer with firm conviction of the efficacy of Traditional Medicine asked me if it is possible to provide primary healthcare to all residents of a settlement with Indian Traditional Medical systems. Earlier having applied for a project to Dept. of AYUSH under Public Health Initiative scheme to implement Primary Health Care through ISM for migrant workers and displaced community and the project still bending for a long time in spite of being considered as a good initiative, I replied in the affirmative. She mentioned that under corporate Social Responsibility of the Public Sector Finance Organization she heads CTMR will be given a grant towards the cost of medicines and for promoting Home Herbal Garden, but after an year it’s the responsibility of the organization to make the people understand and agree that ISM approach will reduce frequency of illness and reduce health expenditure. CTMR grabbed the opportunity and wrote a proposal and submitted to Tamilnadu Industrial Investment Corporation. The Chairperson Mrs. Sheela Rani chungath invited CTMR to make a small presentation about the project to the Board of Directors of TIIC. The board readily agreed and on 20th August, exactly a year ago the grant was given on the inaugural day of the Siddha Health Centre in Chinnandikuppam a fisherman colony.

Once it was decided to launch such a programme next started a discussion among the volunteers of CTMR on the location. It emerged that the Centre should be in a settlement of a marginalized society not very far from the city so that it could be closely monitored as it is a pilot project on Public health through Siddha. With prior experience in interaction with fisherman community and their secluded lifestyle from mainstream due to their vocation, basically depended on the coast line and odd working hours and the recent losses they suffered in TSUNAMI, it was decided to start in Neelangarai, Vetuvankeni area. The Posh neighborhood of the rich was little frightening, whether we will be able to get a place. Then came the memory of the Place for health centre available with Catalyst trust at Chinnandikuppam. A Telephonic call was made to its chairman and consumer rights activist Mr.Desikan. He readily agreed to provide the place but also cautioned that the Siddha doctor from Kelambakkam PHC was supposed to visit twice a week but it did not materialize. He also said an allopathy doctor visits every day for a short while and the community participation is not very encouraging. The nearest Siddha facility was Govt dispensary at Adayar – 15 kms away or Kelambakkam 22 kms away. For Hospitalization it is 30 kms to National Institute of Siddha or Anna Hospital, Anna Nagar.

We decided to do a survey of the colony on the awareness about Siddha or any other traditional medicine and utility pattern of health care. Dr.Murugesan, Dean of NIS and Dr. M.Meenakshisundaram readily agreed to send their PG students and internees. CTMR physicians along with the 15 carried out a door to door survey and found the awareness level to be 10% and actual utilization at 3%. This worried us more as if this is the situation where two major hospitals and four teaching institutes exists what would be the status in rural Tamilnadu.
We decided to Organize the Inaugural meeting as an awareness meet and Mrs. Sheela Rani in her conventional way made a very impressive passionate speech in a language of the common man connecting with them. There were more men from the community with little participation from women. So we thought women may not avail this facility. But once we run the centre we realized that men were reluctant as they felt Siddha medicines will not go well with non-vegetarian diet and their alcohol consumption. More interactions in informal group discussion were held to dispel the fears and it was explained to them Non-veg in general is not a barrier to Siddha medicine and alcoholism is any way bad irrespective of the system and in fact taking hepatoprotective drugs of Siddha will reduce the burden of alcohol intake for the vital organs.

Then the procurement of medicines. A list of medicines were drawn based on the essential drug list of the Dept. of AYUSH and due consideration was given to select cost effective alternatives so that the project is sustainable. Due care was taken to include herbal medicines and essential herbo-mineral drugs so that adverse drug reactions were minimal. IMPCOPS procedure of providing institutional membership was delayed but their dealer agreed to provide medicines at same cost and promised just in time delivery. It was a different story that IMPCOPs revised the price of certain key drugs like Thiriphala churanam by 40 % and therefore quantum of drugs that could be purchased with the grant came down for the same value.

Our volunteers went home to home to create awareness about the system and the services rendered by the centre. Dr. Priyadarshini and Dr. S. Rajkumar were the regular doctors and Dr. Padmapriya visited initially every friday till Dr. Priyadarshini got complete understanding. Dr. Priyadarshni had to leave after eight months due to personal reasons and Dr. Indhumathi joined the team. I must acknowledge each of them meticulously maintained medical records and in fact Dr. Rajkumar underwent training on software for AYUSH medical record keeping and analysis.
Then we also extended the services to velankadu a village between Thiruporur and Thirukalukundram , a displaced persons belonging to dalit community settlement colony as many of them had no regular job or land holding and a poor health history. This was done every fortnight and an educated person in the village was trained and given a simple kit of siddha medicine for fever, diarrhea, common cold and scorpion sting.

Analyzing the data after one year, All members of the village are now aware of siddha and simple plant remedies. Now they try steam inhalation, fomentation, use of adhatoda decoction made at home fenugreek and asafetida for abdominal spasm. About 90 % have a health card of our centre and for majority of them Siddha Health centre has become the first contact for condition like fever, head ache, common cold, sinusitis, Acid-peptic diseases, diarrhea, muscular sprain, anemia, post-natal care, scabies wounds in children and many other conditions. About 40% have become well after one or two visit while 20 % keep coming for routine check of Blood pressure etc and only 10% have dropped out. Though minimal level of cleansing therapies and external therapies are being carried out in the centre further infrastructure is required. In all now 1100 patients (Absolute number and not number of patient visits) are availing the facility. The Cost of medicine dispensed so far is close to Rs 1,50,000 which works out to Rs 137 ( Rupees One hundred and thirty seven per patient per annum) including conditions like anemeia for which at least a month treatment is required.

Since on every visit the medicines required for treating the episode is given – say for 3 -7 days depending on the condition and for conditions like NIDDM one month medicine is given the patients are not forced to frequent the clinic which prevents loss of absenteeism from their vocation. More so the time of the centre so flexible as the large chunck come to the centre between 12 Noon to 2.30 P.M after completing sale of fish in the market.
Learning’s

• 
  
  Siddha could definitely be a solution to fulfill primary health care needs of a community.


• 
  
  Cost of Treatment with Siddha is certainly low with judicious choice of drugs combined with proper adoption of dos and don’ts


• 
  
  Maintaining a proper medical record is possible when patients numbers are limited to 30/day per doctor- though during initial period this may be difficult- a volunteer support may be required.


• 
  
  There is a need to make Siddha available in every place which will definitely improve utilization


• 
  
  News about the centre in English newspaper though has created awareness among others but has not helped reach the target population but has generated interest among others to think of supporting such interventions
  


• 
  
  Excepting on Sundays and National holidays this centre was never closed as some other physician was deputed
  CTMR team is grateful Mrs Sheela Rani Chungath for the motivation and TIIC and others for the support. The informal leaders of the community and volunteers who took part in the health survey.
  

Speech delivered by Mr.V.Prabakaran I.F.S during Inaguration of Siddha Health Centre

Sri. P. Arulmudi, Chairman, AMR Trust
Dr. M. Padma Sorna Subramanian,Research officer, Siddha Medicinal Plant Garden, Mettur,
Dr. R. Sudha, Ph.D
Dr.K.Thirumagal, Medical officer, AMR Trust and
Dr.T.Thirunarayanan, Secretary, CTMR, Chennai

Esteemed students and Staff of Saradha Niketan College

This is indeed my privilege to be amongst you on this auspicious occasion (15th August 2011) for Inagurating Siddha Health centre

Siddha System of Medicine also known as Siddha Vaidyam in India is the oldest among the Indian Medical Systems namely Ayurveda, Siddha & Unani. & it is also the oldest medical system in the world. Of late people in the West and also east are turning to nature for their health requirements. Hence the demand for natural health remedies and herbal health remedies are increasing day by day and Indian medical systems like Siddha and Ayurveda are gaining popularity all over the world.

The Siddha System of Medicine is an integrated part of Indian medical System contributing much to the health care of human beings, due to its richness and simplicity. Siddha System, propounded by the Siddhars is a vast and unique system which defines health as a Perfect State of Physical, Psychological, Social and Spiritual Well Being of an individual. Such being the importance of Siddha system of medicine, I am, indeed very happy to be associated in opening of this Siddha clinic at Saradha Niketan College for women at Kanavaipudur.

How many of are in knowledge of a medicinal plants development area or the MPDA, established by Forest Department in lokur forests? It is a real coincidence that I was associated in its establishment and now, I here am, involved in inaugurating this Siddha clinic.

Nearly a decade ago, when Dr. Thirunarayanan, started this Centre for Traditional Medicine & Research (CTMR), as a ‘non- profit organisation, I did not imagine it will grow in its stature to this size. I congratulate him and his team for this achievement.

CTMR, apart from running similar siddha clinics and establishing herbal gardens; is also documenting Traditional Knowledge of healing, digitizing Siddha Palm manuscripts, Conducts training in traditional medicine and Publishes simple books.

I learn that, this Siddha clinic is the result of CTMR’s proposed public health intervention through the Project Siddha.
The project Siddha has the following objectives;

Ø To provide preventive and curative health care to cover a population of about 20000. To make available the safe and effective Siddha drugs
Ø To create awareness about good traditional health practices
Ø To utilize the locally available plant resources for better health care and thereby reduce health expenditure. Money saved is money earned!
Ø To give supportive role to the existing public health delivery system.

I wish them success in their endevour.

I will be failing in my duty, if I do not acknowledge the contributions of Thiru . P. Arulmudi, the founder Chairman of AMR charitable Trust.
Thiru. P. Arulmudi and his family have established this Trust with a noble objective of providing healthcare and education to the under privileged. I take this opportunity to congratulate him and his generous family members.

It is also my duty to inform you all, that AMR trust is providing complete financial support for providing medicine, salary to the Siddha doctor and other medical instruments needed for this Siddha clinic.

This clinic will focus on the healthcare of rural young women – particularly on Nutrition related diseases and Gynecological problems.

In conclusion, I once again congratulate the CTMR and AMR trust for this noble venture for providing a healthy educated mind in a healthy body.
Thank you

Public Health Initiative

AMR Charitable Trust
&
Centre for Traditional Medicine & Research (CTMR)

Cordially invite you to grace the inauguration of

“Siddha Health Centre”
for reaching the unreached”

on 15/8/11 at 11.00 a.m

At
Sri Saradha Niketan College for Women
Kanavaipudur, Omalur Taluk, Salem -636 354

Sri. P. Arulmudi,
Chairman,
AMR Trust
will preside.

Sri. V. Prabhakaran, IFS
Director of Sericulture,
Govt. of Tamilnadu
will inaugurate the Centre

Dr. M. Padma Sorna Subramanian Ph.D
Research officer
Siddha Medicinal Plant Garden, Mettur,
will initiate the Herbal Garden Project

Dr. R. Sudha, Ph.D ,
will deliver the keynote address




Dr.K.Thirumagal Dr.T.Thirunarayanan

9444018158

CTMR hits centaury in Digitization of Siddha Manuscripts.

One hundred bundles of age-old palm manuscripts collected from different healers and institution trained Siddha physicians have been digitized by CTMR. The project supported by Dept. of AYUSH, Govt. of India commenced in April 2011. The process of collection of the palm manuscripts was done with briefing of different healers associations and individual physicians. The information was also spread through Short Messaging Services and blogging apart from mails. The CTMR team also visited various libraries like Oriental library, Chennai, U.Ve. Swaminathan library, Chennai, International Institute of Tamil Studies, Sarawati Mahal Library, Tamil University library, Publication division of Directorate of Indian medicine to understand the process. The Guidelines issued by the National Manuscripts Mission was followed. Various Mutts particularly saivate mutts, which preserve the manuscripts, were also consulted.

Many of the manuscripts recieved by CTMR were in not so good state, have developed fungal spores, order of folios changed with in the bundle, letters were invisible in some. The first task was retrieving them to a good condition by treatment process. Catalogue was prepared by the Manuscript expert Mr.N.Srinivasan. Only Medical manuscripts were digitized, while the rest were cleaned and retrieved. The rest of the collection includes Tantric healing, Mantras, religious texts like Kandha puranam, Yesu kaaviyam and Astrology related manuscripts.
The cleaned manuscripts in which folios are kept in order, numbered along with CDs are being handed over to individual healers. The healers who are not in a position to preserve in their places deposit the same at CTMR library for safe keeping.
The work of further collection continues and those who wish to provide their manuscripts for the digitization work may contact Dr.S.Rakumar- Project coordinator (94450 90723) or Dr.T.Thirunarayanan- Secretary, CTMR (9444018158)

Siddha Consultation at Green covai

On the occasion of the Satabishekam celeberations of Pujya Swamiji. Dayananda saraswati of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam - Green covai a unit of AIM FOR SEVA, a partner NGO of CTMR has organized an exhibition stall at CODESSIA Centre of Coimbatore for three days from 2oth July 2011 to 22nd July 2011.

The stall had the following features

1. Display of over 50 medicinal plants.

2. Publications on the use of medicinal plants -English, Self- help through plants and Kitchen herbal garden.

3. Display of various training activities conducted by CTMR and Green covai at Annaikatti for tribal women, traditional healers, horticultural officers.

4. AMLA health drink developed by CTMR with support of NRDC and other value added products of Green covai like hair oil. aromatic oil etc.

5. The promotion of tree planting linking it to Zodiac signs and Birth Stars- Over 300 saplings of Madhuca longifolia - Plant linked to the Nakshtra of Revathy- birth star of Puja Swamiji. were distributed to persons who took a pledge of maintaining the tree.

6. Dr.T.Thirunarayanan of CTMR was also blessed with the opportunity to provide Traditional medical consultation to over 75 persons from various part of the country during the event.

Pujya swamiji personally visited the stall and blessed every one. Various dignitaries visited the stall and appreciated the Green Covai efforts, Particularly Shri. D. Ramanji - the coordinator of Green covai.

CTMR Hosts Meeting on IGNOU Scheme of Accreditation and Certification of Prior Learning (ACPL) for Traditional healers

CTMR hosts the first consultative meeting for IGNOU Scheme of Accreditation and Certification of Prior Learning (ACPL) on Saturday, the 2nd July 2011 from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm.

Mr. G.Hariramamoorthy of FRLHT is the convener of this meeting.

Agenda for meeting is as below:

1. Brief introduction of the ACPL scheme

2. Minimum Standards of Competency of Grama Vaidyas for ACPL for healing streams namely:
2.1 Jaundice

2.2 Traditional Birth Attendants

2.3 Traditional Bone Setting

2.4 Skin conditions

2.5 Vatham related health conditions

2.6 Common ailments

2.7 Poisonous bites

2.8 Women specific health conditions

2.9 Piles and fistula

2.10 Infertility and Impotency

3. Any other with permission of chair

This meeting is being hosted by Centre for Traditional Medicine & Research at the address below: Centre for Traditional Medicine & Research (CTMR)No. 24, Anna Nagar Main Road,Ganesh Nagar,Puzhuthiwakkam,Chennai- 600091.

SIDDHA VISION 2025 DOCUMENT

SIDDHA VISION -2025
1. Preamble
1.1 The healthcare system of the 21st century should maximize the health and functioning of both individual patients and communities. To accomplish this goal, the system should balance and integrate needs for personal healthcare with broader community-wide initiatives that target the entire population

1.2 Throughout most of the modern era of medicine there has been a lack of integration and, at times, a split between public health and medicine. Public health focuses on health promotion and disease prevention at the level of populations, while medicine focuses on individual care, with an emphasis on the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Ideally these approaches should be seamlessly integrated in practice, education, and research.

1.3 Siddha medicine is primarily based on complete balanced outlook to life through diet, lifestyle and practices that promote harmonious healthy living.

1.4 We as a society collectively take efforts to assure the conditions in which people can be healthy through Siddha Medicine

2. Scope of the Vision document

2.1. This document would include the Policy, Goals and Strategy for delivering safe, efficacious, affordable healthcare through Indian systems of medicine.

2.2. The document covers areas of Health services including treatment protocols, Education, Research, Drug development, cost and access.

2.3 Vision 2025 will include Public, Private organizations, Voluntary organizations, informal groups of Traditional healers, individuals, Researchers, Manufacturing organizations, which are not involved in generation of profit.

3. Objectives

3.1 The specific objectives of the document are listed below:

3.1.1To help build a promotive and preventive healthcare approaches through Traditional wisdom thereby prevent productivity loss of the nation. A healthy and prosperous nation for contributing to the development of the country through Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM).

3.1.2 To create an enabling environment for the growth of Siddha system to cater to the current and future health needs of the state, nation and to the Diasporas.

3.1.3 To strengthen and build physical infrastructures & Human resources

3.1.4 Adopting professional excellence in Indigenous Systems of Medicine (ISM) to achieve the quality of life by contributing to physical, mental, social, economic and spiritual well-being of the public.
3.1.5 To enhance community and society participation in the healthcare process so that local citizens have a voice and can contribute ideas to the healthcare system.
3.1.6 To strengthen research activities to ensure the quality of service and products pertaining to Siddha systems of medicine.

3.1.7 Effort to validate the safety and effectiveness of Siddha medicines using current medical guidelines.

4. Strategies

The following paragraphs describe how these objectives are to be achieved.

4.1 Building a Promotive care approach

4.1.1 The health challenge of the next decade is expected to be the life style disorders, age related disorders in urban, semi urban areas while the communicable diseases like HIV, TB, and Acute Fluid Diarrhoea and Lower Respiratory Infection in children pose a challenge both in urban and rural areas. The strength of Siddha medicine being the promotive health and management of lifestyle disorders, validation of the practices through public health interventional and observational studies needs to be adopted. The research institutes and institutes of higher learning will take up these as higher priority in its projects.

4.1.2 Anti-aging Kayakalpa therapies would be promoted thorough specialized campaign with participation of educational institutions, private sector players and voluntary organizations

4.1.3 Educational steams like Sarva Siksha Abiyan, social studies will include healthy lifestyle habits, yoga, home herbal gardens and promote traditional food habits in children. Traditional systems of medicine should be valued and reinforced in school as “scientific.” When indigenous knowledge is taught alongside material in school curriculum, students respect their indigenous knowledge and tend to utilize and disseminate it later in their lives. There should be active involvement of Siddha physicians in school health programmes.

4.1.4 The role of Siddha in the national health programmes in prevention of anemia, malnutrition and non communicable diseases should be recognized.

4.1.5 Efforts to promote Siddha system as a component of Health tourism using promotional schemes of ‘International Cooperation’ of Dept. of AYUSH.

4.2 Creating ‘Enabling environment for the growth of Siddha system’

4.2.1 The Health policy of both the Central and State Govt. is to encourage ISM as a viable alternate or at times at par with bio-medicine in certain clinical conditions and to guarantee access to traditional medicine. This means to ensure its equitable availability and affordability, with a particular attention to the poorest population. In low-income country like ours, the need of inexpensive and effective treatments for common diseases is very high. Yet one-third, and sometimes even a half of the population of these countries, lack regular access to essential drugs. Traditional medicines are, in comparison, much more available and affordable than allopathic medicine.

4.2.2 With the purpose of increasing the access to traditional medicine, first, reliable indicators to accurately measure levels of access – both financial and geographic – so it must be developed; and, secondly, the safest and most effective therapies must be identified, to provide a sound basis for efforts to promote.

4.2.3 To expand Siddha services to every metro cities and state capitals in the country and every primary health centre in the state. Siddha facilities in urban areas particularly in cities like Madurai, Coimbatore and many suburban areas of Chennai should be enhanced to improve accessibility. To have in-patient facility in every Govt. Hospital.

4.2.4 Provide affordable care to every seeker of traditional medicine. Improve TM use level to at least 30% of population. Develop quality, all inclusive treatment protocols based on ISM genomics with repeatable, reproducible results. The state / central funding for ISM should be increased to 14%. of total health budget.

4.2.5 Recognize the role of Private players and NGO’s and encourage public private partnership (PPP) will be a chance for mutual appreciation and constructive criticism, which otherwise is not possible.

4.2.6 To be included in health insurance cover for select disease conditions like lifestyle disorders and provide key role in Non communicable diseases for Traditional systems of medicine.

4.2.7 It should also be considered that traditional practitioners live at the community level, making traditional medicine extremely available. For this reason, "the role of traditional practitioners should be recognized and cooperation between them and community health-workers should be strengthened.

4.3 To strengthen and build physical infrastructures & Human resources

4.3.1 To have a technical and financial plan to strengthen and build physical infrastructures,
Human resources and to attain a leadership position in managing lifestyle disorders and refractive illness. The objective include strengthening, expanding, restructuring, both government and private health care services to enhance traditional medicines in their health programs.

4.3.2 The educational institutions should be strengthened not just to fulfill the barest minimum standards laid down by Central Council of Indian Medicine but to the level of medical institutes of National repute.

4.3.3 The curriculum at the Undergraduate level should provide a level of confidence for the students to establish general practice in the society from which they come from, as the gap in providing healthcare via bio-medicine continues in rural areas. Students should be given training in the grass root community level and Community Orientation Programme (COP) should be made mandatory.

4.3.4 Post-graduate education should provide an expertise to function as a specialist in the chosen area. The specialization branches should not be merely aping the bio-medicine but identified strength areas of Siddha medicine. The institution and curriculum should be strengthened.

4.3.4 The curriculum is so designed that Siddha doctors should be competent enough to meet the changing global health scenario

4.3.5 Knowledge being the key, continuous upgrading of knowledge by faculties is recommended. All existing textbooks to be updated within a five year period by the vast human resource available in educational and research institutes.

4.3.6 Drug Testing Laboratory should be upgraded in order to test as many samples of drugs being supplied to Govt. Hospitals, at least three batches a year.

4.4 Adopting professional excellence in Indigenous Systems of Medicine (ISM)

4.4.1 The Tamilnadu Siddha Medical Council to be strengthened to play an important role in advisory, investigatory and supervisory areas to monitor legal activities of Siddha system of medicine.

4.4.2 The physicians associations should encourage self-regulation for ethical practice and best quality service to the patients Inducement of patients with tall claims through any media, electronic or print should be regulated by stricter implementation of existing laws and bring in self regulation in advertisement.

4.4.3 The physicians associations should encourage minimum hours of training, participations in workshops, seminar and conferences by its members for knowledge up gradation and skill development in treatment procedures.

4.4.4 Trainings should be open to private practitioners as well. Considering the workload in teaching institutes reputed voluntary organizations and private institutes may be encouraged to conduct such programmes.

4.4.5 Accreditation of hospitals scheme of Dept. of AYUSH should be utilized for improving standards.

4.5 To enhance community and society participation in the healthcare process.

4.5.1 Traditional Medicine is not primarily based on Disease- Drug approach but Do’s and Don’ts for health and disease. Positive lifestyles like Satwik food, Siddha yoga including regulated breathing practice – Vasi yogam, Meditation –Dhyanam plays an important role in prevention of disease and healthy living. Some simple home remedies and health diets are made at home which can significantly reduce health related expenses. All these need community awareness and participation.

4.5.2 Dept. of AYUSH conducts AROGYA fairs, limited advertisements in electronic media and supports development of IEC material. Siddha should fully utilize this and reach maximum number of people.

4.5.3 Community herbal gardens, kitchen herbal gardens, Focused group meetings on the responsibilities of an individual in maintaining his or health, educating women Self help groups will help active community participation. Create awareness through audio visual media.PHC doctors should coordinate with local panchayat leaders and community.

4.6 To strengthen research activities to ensure the quality of service and products pertaining to Siddha systems of medicine

4.6.1 Current infrastructure and research priorities though has contributed to the development of drugs for certain diseases like Psoriasis, research priorities should be lifestyle disorders, refractive illness for which bio-medicine do not have an answer or a solution which is unaffordable. Research on fundamental concepts of Siddha system is stressed. Research in the arena of non invasive diagnostic tools in Siddha like manikadainool and neikuri should be initiated.

4.6.2 Physical infrastructure and funding for recurrent expenditure to be enhanced to take up treatment protocol and drug development for at least ten diseases. Establishing safety and efficacy profile for 100 most frequently used Siddha formulations acceptable to international standards.

4.6.3 Siddha drug- Bio-medicine interaction, food drug interaction needs to be studied.

4.7 Effort to validate the safety and effectiveness of traditional medicines using current medical guidelines.

4.7.1 With regard to quality assurance a systematic method will be institutionalized for the quality assurance of indigenous systems of medicine’s products and processes aligned with national and global requirements.

4.7.2 The World Health Organization (WHO) has set global guidelines towards evaluating the safety and efficacy of traditional medicines. These guidelines are quite extensive and include the evaluation of traditional medicines according to their environment and the contexts in which they are being used. WHO guidelines for methodologies on research and evaluation of traditional medicine (2000) articulate a strategy to improve and promote the proper use and development of traditional medicine. Quality standards for Siddha Medicine should not only follow similar guidelines but develop methods appropriate to local conditions to ensure the synergy of the product is not affected.

4.7.3 Introduction of reforms in regulatory affairs along with capacity building of units in the Indian System of Traditional Medicine to help maximize growth. The industry in the small and micro segment will need to collaborate and form clusters where knowledge and resource sharing can help to maximize capacity utilization. Small units need to come out the traditional shackles and adopt a contemporary image.

4,7.4 In this regard, there is a need to ease the licensing systems and rationalize safety & efficacy for drug innovations. The government should recognize the strength in the holistic system, encourage the development of classical preparations, insist the ISM doctors to utilize diagnostic tests wherever applicable to provide more conviction to the treatment protocol.

4.7.5 The industry should document all its processes from raw material to packaging. The practitioners of Traditional System of Medicine should document diagnosis, treatment processes, report adverse drug reactions and publish review of cases. There is also a need for the industry to work in collaboration with the TSM doctor or ‘vaidya’ in the drug development process.

4.7.6 The task on hand is to ensure Schedule T compliance, institutionalize quality tasks at every stage, develop value-added products, preserve traditional process for ‘Classical process/recipes, invest in research and development. The units should have a global mindset and a local focus to cater to domestic market needs. These small companies should look at adopting information technology and backward integration to succeed,


We, the members of the Siddha community present on the meeting on 26th June, 2011, solemnly pledge to work towards the set goals.
Vd.S.Usman Ali

Dr.G.Sivaraman

Dr.M.P.Agasthiyan
Dr.A.Kumaravel

Dr.T.Thirunarayanan

Dr.K.Ravi
Dr.M.Murugesan

Dr.R.Sudha

Dr.R.Manikantan
Dr.M.Meenakshisundaram

Dr.R.Padmapriya

Dr.Lavanya
Dr.Pitchayakumar

Dr.Sathiyarajesaran

Dr.G.Subashchandran
Dr. M.Suresh

Dr.S.Rajkumar

Dr.S.Ramaswamy pillai
Dr. Joseph Maria Adaikalam

Dr.G.Thangavel

Dr.Shankar
Dr.L.Sivakumar