Shillong, July 29: Union Minister of State incharge for AYUSH Shri Shripad Yesso Naik laid the foundation stone of the 2nd Phase of Construction of North East Institute of Ayurveda & Homeopathy (NEIAH) at NEIAH Campus, Mawdiangdiang, Shillong today. The approximate estimated cost of the construction is Rs 40.80 crore for an area of 10481.53 sqm and will comprise of residential accommodation for students, doctors and staff and guest house.
The minister in his speech expressed that the 2nd phase will cater some of the basic needs of students, doctors and employee of the institute. These infrastructures will ultimately facilitate better health care and management of the region, he added.
The minister, while acknowledging the satisfactory performance of the institute since its start in 2016, said that this institute will be able to produce quality human resources which will directly benefit the health care system of the region. This will also motivate people for cultivation and preservation of valuable medicinal plants in the region; and it will be possible to promote and preserve the traditional knowledge of folk medicine, he added.
The minister expressed that the intention of the AYUSH ministry is to further develop and provide necessary support to built the institute to a ‘centre of excellence’ to fulfil the need of National and International communities. The institution is investing itself in sensitizing AYUSH system in the North East region by rendering community services through camps in the adjoining areas, he added.
He also informed that the institute is also going to undertake Panchakarma technician training as a skilled development programme for the youth of the NE region. Claiming Panchakarma to be one of the most effective healing modality in Ayurvedic medicine, the minister said that this combined therapy has the ability to heal many serious diseases.
He also added that integration of different medical practices and cross reference among them are going to open new horizon to combat non-communicable diseases. He said that these practice will lead to a paradigm shift in health care systems which will be cost effective and be easily accessible to the people of this region.
The minister opined that the NEIAH can be the hub for researches in Ayurveda and folk medicine for the entire South East Asia. He appreciated the fact that the presence of premier institutes like NEHU, NIT Shillong and IIM in close vicinity can aid in researches for better health care in the region.
He added, “Academic leadership seriously think the ideas of inter disciplinary research and translating research for economic development of the region”. He also said that AYUSH has the potential for development of the entire North East region through health care, medical tourism and international trade for cultivation, processing and marketing of medical plant based on the available flaura and fauna in the climatic condition of the region.
The minister concluded his speech with the hope that NEIAH will be able to produce quality medical graduates who will have the capacity to lead the society and bring changes in improving the health of their own people.
Joint secretary of AYUSH, Govt of India, Shri Roshan Jaggi in his address said that AYUSH is very keen to strengthen the basic medical infrastructure of the institutes in the Northeast region so that good health care is easily accessible to the people of the region. The ministry will develop NEIAH into a premier Public Health Institute of the country which will invest itself in research and development in addition to providing basic health care.
Shri Jaggi, while expressing his satisfaction over the recent positive developments in the AYUSH department in the state, also requested the state government to strengthen the administrative setup of the department so that the presence of AYUSH is felt to district and block level as well.
This will ensure that the medical care is reaching to the last person, he added. He also informed the gathering of the plans of the AYUSH ministry to organise an International fair for medicinal plant entrepreneurs and experts to explore the biodiversity in the field. This kind of fairs will help in adding value to their products and establish chains for export of these medicines, he added.
The programme was also attended by Chief Secretary of Meghalaya Shri Y Tsering, Pro-Vice Chancellor of NEHU, Shillong Prof H Lamin, Secretary of Health & Family Welfare, Govt of Meghalaya, Shri Praveen Bakshi and other officials of the state and central government.
