By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda & Homeopathy (NEIAH) began the six-day Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme for medical officers (Ayurveda) here on Monday. The programme highlighted the need to promote Ayush systems of medicine in Meghalaya.
Ayush is a non-allopathic medical system and is an acronym of the medical systems practiced since ancient times in India such as Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy.
Speaking as the Chief Guest at the inaugural function, H. Lamin, pro Vice-Chancellor, NEHU said, “There is a need to promote Ayurveda and Homeopathy in the state to enhance the delivery of health care services and to supplement medical manpower to contribute to research and healthcare.”
Stating that research calls for harnessing bio-resources in the North East, he said that Ayush has played an important role in the development of the nation besides propagating the medical practice to other parts of the world.
Turning towards the exchange of ideas between Ayush medical practitioners and traditional healers, Lamin said, “There is a need to uplift, improve and propagate the exchange of ideas as there are rooms for improvement.”
Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, K.W. Marbaniang bemoaned the shortage of doctors in the state. He said, “The number of doctors in the state is 0.2 every 1000 people while the national average is 0.8 per 1000. It will take us 20 years to fill that gap.”
He added that government hospitals in the state are overburdened as there is dearth of specialist doctors in the state. “There is shortage of manpower in the state and hence the integration of Ayush plays an important as far as boosting the medical system is concerned,” he added.
Later, speaking to reporters at the end of the inaugural programme, P.K. Goswami, director, NEIAH said that the CME programme is necessary for doctors to update themselves with new developments. “For six days there will be experts interacting with the doctors which is a good intervention. If we have trained manpower in the state, health tourism will be given the much needed boost,” he said.
“The aim is to revitalize traditional knowledge as the region is rich in flora and fauna. We need time and research oriented studies which will boost medical research,” he added.
NEIAH has Ayurvedic and Homeopathic colleges with an admission capacity of 50 students each along with a 100-bedded Ayurvedic Hospital and 50-bedded Homeopathy Hospital.
Speaking of the patients’ response to the treatment, he said, “150-200 patients frequent the OPD in a month which is a good response.”
NEIAH is proposing to come up with Indoor Patient Department (IPD) while the OPD is situated at Nongrim Hills and Mawdiangdiang, Goswami informed.