Srinagar: Keeping in view the rich potential of medicinal plants in Jammu and Kashmir, the government has established a full-fledged Medicinal Plant Board.
An amount of Rs 16 crore have been kept at the disposal of the Board to explore the herbal potential in the state.
The Board has already decided to set up a high tech herbal nursery in the Botanical Garden on the bank of Dal Lake for the facilities of the intending beneficiaries who want to start the herbal related ventures, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sham Lal Sharma said yesterday at a function here.
He said latest trends show that many people are inclined to avail the benefits of AYUSH treatment instead of allopathic.
He added India is famous for the Ayurvedic and Unani treatment from the old times when Hakeems used to treat the patients just by touching the pulse of the patients and doing miracles with the herbal treatment which was later adopted by the other countries.
The old tradition has been returning back and large numbers of people are coming to receive the herbal treatments, he added.
Mr Sharma said to promote the AYUSH sector in Jammu and Kashmir, the government has taken several initiatives, which included appointment of 396 Medical Officers, 396 Pharmacists, 30 Homeopathic doctors, establishment of Drug Testing Lab.
The government has also proposed some new initiatives which included establishment of 30 new AYUSH Centres, Integrated AYUSH Hospital at Hervan, holding of AROGYA, opening of Specialized Panchkarma Unit for the facilities of tourists to promote the Medical tourism.
He said during the coming years, the AYUSH sector will flourish on the lines of other parts of the country.
Mr Sharma, dedicated Rs 7.65 crore to 5- beded unani hospital at Shaltang.
This state-of-the art double storey building has been constructed over an area of 20,000 sft with an estimated cost of Rs 7.65 crore by the Roads & Building Department.
The building will house several sections, indoor wards, OPD block, laboratory, auditorium and doctors’ examination rooms and will serve as full-fledged Unani hospital which is first of its kind in the State.
Referring to the development of AYUSH, the Minister said that Central Government has already sanctioned one Unani College for Srinagar and one Ayurvedic College for Jammu and work on these projects is apace.
