Folk medicine institute on the anvil in NE

Guwahati, Nov 8 (UNI) The North East will soon witness new development in conservation, rejuvenation and expanded cutlivation of medicinal plants, besides capacity addition and infrastructure upgradation of present medical institutions.

This was informed by Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss today at the end of the two-day review meeting on implementation of variuos programmmes in health, family welfare and AYUSH sectors in NE.

The Union Health and Family Welfare secretaries, along with 35 top officials of the departments, accompanied the Minister.

Besides the officials of the health and other related departments of all NE states, including Sikkim, the respective state health Ministers, except of Sikkim and Nagaland, were present.

Dr Ramadoss informed that a first-ever Centre of Excellence of Folk Medicine had been proposed under the 11th plan at Arunachal Pradesh.

He said the institute would be set up within two years at an estimated project expenditure of Rs 32-35 crore.

He said, '' I had talked to the Chief Minister yesterday and the logistics have to be worked out for it to fruitify. '' He further informed that an Ayush educational institute would be set up at NEIGRIHMS, Shillong, with a capital expenditure of Rs 20-25 crore.

Taking note of rising incidence of cancer cases in the region, the Union Health Minister said Regional Cancer Centres (RCC) would be set up at all NE states with expenditure of Rs 5 crore.

Besides developing the cancer centre at Kolkata on a massive scale to cater to eastern as well as NE states, another would be opened at NEIGRIHMS, he added.

Dr Ramadoss said, '' The NE has four RCCs now but all the other states donot have adequate facilities to update to RCC category. '' He also informed that a package to the tune of Rs 100-150 crore would be given for the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal.

'' The extent of the package is yet to be decided. It is expected to take care of all problems of the RIMS, '' he added.

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