'Siddha Gramam' helps popularise Indian medical system

Kochi, Oct 26 (UNI) 'Sidha Gramam', a project inaugurated by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramdoss in Chandiroor village in Alappuzha district of Kerala two years ago, has helped the backward hamlet fight diseases and also learn the benefits of the ancient Indian medical system.

As the project, sponsored by Santhigiri Siddha Medical College and Santhigiri Healthcare and Research Organisation, embarks on its third year, the organisers have expressed satisfaction that the traditional but little known Indian medical system has been popularised through it.

''Siddha, considered to be the oldest medical system in the country, has not received its due and has in fact been a subject of much misconception and controversy,'' Dr Jaganathan, Chief Coordinator of Santhigiri's 'Karunyam Project', under which the 'Siddha Gramam' was launched, told UNI here.

According to him, Siddha medicines are inexpensive and give speedy relief. While metals are used in most Siddha medicines, the processing and purification done during the manufacture ensure that there are no toxic side effects, he added.

Regretting that Siddha was little known outside Tamil Nadu, Dr Jaganathan said there was a need to popularise this system, which had been found very effective in treating diseases such as psoriasis.

Talking of the 'Siddha Gramam' project in Chandiroor village, Dr Jaganathan said this had been initiated as a pilot project, which is to be scaled up all over Kerala over a period of 15 years.

''We aim to make the village disease free within a period of three years with the use of Siddha medicines only,'' he said.

Chandiroor was chosen for the pilot project not only because it is the birthplace of Navajyothisree Karunakaraguru, the founder of Santhigiri Ashram, who envisioned making Siddha popular on the global level, but also because the backward hamlet had a high incidence of disease caused by environmental pollution.

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