Health minister highlights State’s rich trove of medicinal plants in World Ayurveda Congress

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IMPHAL, November 10: Health minister Phungjathang Tonsing has highlighted the rich treasure trove of medicinal plants of the State in the Sixth World Ayurveda Congress which concluded on November 9 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

Tongsing represented the State government in the Ayurveda Congress and Arogya Expo, 2014 which was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and went on from November 7 to 9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the closing ceremony as the chief guest.

Speaking to media persons in the press meet at his resident this afternoon, Phungjathang said the congress was an International conference with eight ministers from foreign countries participating. In the congress, officials and delegates from 40 countries also took part.

He said he delivered a speech in the congress which was appreciated by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Harsh Vardhan. Over 1200 varieties of medicinal plants are found in the State, he added.

The Union Health Minister has assured to look into the matter stating that there were some budgetary constraints in the last financial year but the financial allocation to the health services sector all over the India has been increased to Rs 5000 crores from the Rs 1600 crores earmarked in the financial year 2013-14, he added.

He has also assured that the financial allocation will be proportionally shared among the States of India, Phungjathang said, adding the requirement of all the States of India will be soon fulfilled.

“I have urged the Union Health Minister to give attention to the State although we have two medical institutions. RIMS hospital is not under the State government but Centrally run so we need another medical institution in the hill districts just like JNIMS in the valley,” he said.

He requested the Union Health Minister to approve and provide necessary funds for the establishment of a medical college in Churachandpur. The State cabinet has already decided to establish a medical college for the hill districts by upgrading the 100 bedded constraints to 200 bedded hospital in order to promote medical education and improve health care facilities in the five hill districts, he added.

He further stated that the Union Minister has assured special care of Manipur which already submitted a proposal for establishment of new PHSCs under NHRM programme for the year 2013-14. He added that he requested the Union Health Ministry to approve his proposal at the earliest in order to implement the scheme during the current financial year.

He narrated that he reflected on some points of Manipur in his speech that traditional medicine is practised by village priests and priestess known as Maibas or Maibis and added that he drew the attention of the Minister to develop traditional medicine by bringing in more investment.

He said he had also appealed the Union government to provide a special grant-in-aid assistance of 40 crores for establishment of a full-fledged separate directorate of Ayush. He added that the state is about to complete a 50 bedded integrated Ayush hospital building.

He said that the State has already opened a 10 bedded Ayush Hospital at Singjamei and already implemented Ayush centres in various PHCs and PHSCs etc in the State despite facing financial constraints.

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