Ramadoss to declare Chandiroor as ''first Siddha village''

Kochi, Sep 2 (UNI) Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss will declare Chandiroor village in Alappuzha district of Kerala as the ''first Siddha village in the country'' at a function on September 5.

Announcing this at a press conference here today, Swami Jyotirmaya Jnana Thapaswi, president of the Thiruvananthapuram-based Santhigiri Ashramam, said Chandiroor would be the first village ''adopted'' by the Santhigiri Siddha Medical College to launch a comprehensive Siddha treatment programme.

He said the propagation of the ancient Indian system of Siddha on a global scale was the ambition of Navajyothisree Karunkara Guru, the founder of Santhigiri Ashramam.

Chandiroor being the birth place of the Guru, Santhigiri had decided to adopt the village and launch its comprehensive Siddha treatment programme from there.

As part of the programme, medical survey teams from the Santhigiri Siddha Medical College had done a survey of Chandiroor village last month. Of the nearly 3,000 families living in the village, 2,300 patients had been identified and their ailments documented.

Living in low-lying and damp area the villagers were found to be suffering from various health problems, including rheumatism (25 per cent), respiratory problems (20 per cent), skin disorders (15 per cent), diabetes, piles and hypertension (five per cent each), among others diseases.

Many people were also found to be suffering from thyroid problems and filariasis.

As part of the three-year-programme, a team of doctors from Santhigiri Siddha Medical College will conduct medical camps at Chandiroor every month to assess the condition of the patients and distribute the necessary medicines. All the patients in the village will be issued ''health cards'' to receive treatment and continue follow-up, he added.

An awareness campaign will also be started on maintenance of personal hygiene and proper sanitation, purification methods of drinking water, management of occupational hazards, mosquito control role of medicinal plants and diet regulation life.

The ultimate aim was to set up a Siddha hospital permanently in the village, he said.

Apart from the Siddha Medical College, Santhigiri Ashramam had also set up the Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru Research Centre for Ayurveda and Siddha at Uzhavoor in Kottayam district. The centre has been set up on the property donated by late President K R Narayanan and his sister K R Gowriamma, he informed.

UNI ARC ROY SAM RK1615