Ayush dept hopes European Union will ease restrictions on Ayurveda drugs

Ayush dept hopes European Union will ease restrictions on Ayurveda drugs

Joseph Alexander, New Delhi
Thursday, May 12, 2011, 08:00 Hrs [IST]


The Department of Ayush, with the help of the Commerce Ministry, is in talks with the European Union to ease the restrictions on Ayurveda drugs recently imposed by the EU authorities, according to the Department authorities.

The EU guidelines, following the Traditional Herbal Medicine Products Directive (THMPD) 2004, were too 'strict’ and would affect the export of India’s traditional drugs, Ayush secretary Anil Kumar told newsmen here last evening.

According to the ban came into force from May 1, a company needs to demonstrate its efficacy and safety through traditional use for at least 30 years of which 15 years should be within EU. The new guideline mandates registration of a herbal medicine.

"This is very strict. We along with the Department of Commerce have taken up the issue with them (the EU) and they said they will look into it. We feel the compulsory period of usage should be reduced," Anil Kumar said.

The THMPD had granted seven-year transitional period to all unlicensed herbal medicines to comply with the requirements and it ended on April 30 this year. This may have an impact on export of ayurvedic medicines though Kumar said the word 'ban' would not be proper in this respect.

He said a unit is also being set up to monitor adverse news reports about Indian medicinal systems which will prepare and send immediate and detailed responses to the media organisations concerned. Kumar also said manufacturers will have to ensure good quality of products.

The secretary also disclosed that guidelines to run Ayurveda, Homoeo, Siddha and Unani colleges in the country. One of the guidelines is to have at least 32 teachers in a college. Those colleges which can admit 50 students should have minimum 10 teachers in the capacity of professors and readers. Besides, the inspections of these colleges have also been made stricter,

Standards for AYUSH medical colleges to be raised

Standards for AYUSH medical colleges to be raised

thaiindianews

New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) The qualification standards for medical colleges and hospitals that come under the department of ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoepathy (AYUSH) will be raised, a senior official said Tuesday.

“We look for transparency in the practices followed by institutions to come under the system of AYUSH. By raising the qualification standards, we expect an upgradation in facilities such as distribution of medicines, condition of hospitals practicing this medium of medicine, and greater transparency,” said Anil Kumar, secretary, AYUSH department in the health and family welfare ministry.

The raising of norms comes in the form of changes in minimum criteria for higher level faculty, number of patients attended by the in-patient department (IPD) and out-patient department (OPD), the functional system of the hospital, and supply of medicines to the hospital among others.

The decision comes after the ministry observed unfair practices of showing higher that actual number of patients in hospitals, lack of skilled faculty, and inadequate practices.

“We want to ensure quality in this branch of medicine by checking unfair practices. We have also collaborated with the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) for availing high quality data to the public, better research on ayurveda, and naturopathy on AYUSH research portal,” Anil Kumar said.

EU BAN ON AYUSH DRUGS

EU BAN ON AYUSH DRUGS
P A Francis
Wednesday, May 11, 2011, 08:00 Hrs [IST]
pharma biz

India's ayurvedic and herbal exports to Europe are going to get seriously affected with the enforcement of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD) by the European Union from May 1. It was known to everyone in the industry since last year that the directive was to take effect from this year and some had already initiated steps to tackle the new scenario. The directive does not seem to be entirely a non tariff barrier as there has been certain serious quality issues relating to Indian herbal exports in the past. THMPD is stated to have framed to provide a regulatory approval process for herbal medicines entering the EU countries. Since October 2005, herbal medicines in most EU countries are being controlled under the EU regulation, 2004/24/EC. This new rule stipulates that a company intending to export its herbal medicines to EU needs to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the same through traditional use. It demands that for a product to apply for traditional use registration, it should provide sufficient data to prove that it has been in use for a minimum period of 30 years and 15 years in use within the EU. A transition period of seven years is, however, given to companies to take necessary corrective measures to comply with the new EU norms as many of their products may not pass the new registration procedures.

One can say that by implementing THMPD, the EU is denying its citizens,especially Indians living there, access to an ancient system of healing. These medicines had helped millions in EU over past few decades for treating chronic disorders where modern medicine failed to produce results. A Research conducted for the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in 2009 showed that 26 per cent of adults in the UK have been taking herbal medicine in the last two years from health food shops and pharmacies. The EU ban can be, thus, termed as a direct attack on patients’ right to seek alternative medicine. Be that as it may, absence of a standardized manufacturing system and scientific documentation are two fundamental drawbacks of this sector from the very beginning. The recent move by the Department of Ayush to conduct elaborate studies, mainly toxicity and metal content analysis, of about 5000 herbal raw materials commonly used by the country's Ayurveda units is thus a right initiative. Currently, these raw materials with no uniformity in quality are procured from divergent sources resulting in sharp variations in product efficacy. There are about 8000 small and tiny units spread across the country producing herbal drugs in the traditional ways. The most critical factor for the universal acceptability of herbal and plant medicines is to ensure their quality, safety and efficacy by way of clinical trials. Only that can build credibility of these drugs as it will scientifically prove their therapeutic benefits. It is in view of this, the Department of Ayush has come out with a set of draft guidelines for good clinical practices for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani drugs and other traditional medicines. If the ayurvedic industry is serious about achieving a sustainable growth, the units have to adopt all these scientific norms in their manufacturing practises instead of crying over the EU ban.

AMMOI urges health ministry to bring national ban

AMMOI urges health ministry to bring national ban on practice of fake, unqualified healers

Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai
Saturday, May 07, 2011, 08:00 Hrs [IST]


In a memorandum to the Union health ministry, the Ayurvedic Medicine Manufacturers Organisation of India (AMMOI) has urged the government to take immediate steps to ban the practice of fake and unqualified traditional healers in the country, through amendment of existing act and rules if necessary.
The secretary of AMMOI, Dr D Ramanathan handed over the memorandum to the union minister of state for health, S Gandhiselvan during his visit to Kerala recently.

The organisation was forced to bring the issue to the notice of the minister as the Kerala government, prior to the assembly election, gave exemption to the traditional healers of northern Kerala from acquiring qualification and registration as per some provisions of Travancore-Cochin Medical Council Act. The decision of the government was later stayed by the Kerala High Court.

Dr Ramanathan said there should be a policy decision by the Central government after amending relevant acts pertaining to the practice by doctors of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy systems. He said that the regulations of Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) strictly prevent the practising of unqualified doctors and fake healers. But some state governments are still issuing orders allowing fake traditional healers to practise and Kerala case is the best example of such unwise action. The CCIM and other ayurvedic doctors associations in Kerala have challenged the decision of the government in the court.

AMMOI also demanded implementation and spread of Ayurveda and other Indian Systems of Medicine in the north-eastern parts of the country where everyone is following the modern system. It is necessary to constitute a committee consisting eminent personalities from the ISM sector to prepare a detailed scheme to introduce Ayurveda system in those states and it should be included in the curriculum of schools and colleges there for the 12th five year plan. AMMOI suggested that the members of the committee should be from CCRA, CCRUM, CCRS, ICMR, CCIM and ayurvedic industry.

The ayurvedic manufacturers’ appeals to the ministry included a request for a new scheme for the cultivation of medicinal plants. Because of deforestation and population growth, ayurvedic manufacturing industry is facing shortage of raw materials. The organization has also invited the minister’s attention to the European Union’s ban on Indian system of medicinal products following detection of heavy metal substance in some products.

He further sought the help of the health ministry to remove the barriers in introducing the health insurance scheme for Ayurveda treatment. Likewise the health ministry should find out a solution for withdrawing the central excise duty imposed on classical medicines by the finance ministry. Even though the financial department took some steps in favour of the ayurvedic industry’s demands, it is still pending, says the memorandum.

The Union minister was also requested to intervene in the matter of salary discrimination adopted by the Kerala government. “India’s national policy is to give equal status to all system of medicines. But in Kerala this is not so and the treatment of Ayurveda is looked down. In spite of repeated letters and directions from central government, there is no change in the state policy. The best example is the differences in the pay scale of Ayurveda and Homoeopathy doctors”, said Dr Ramanathan, a CCIM executive committee member.

The memorandum also demands for additional financial aid for the upcoming Kerala Ayurvedic Cluster to be inaugurated in Thrissur for its development and setting up of research units. AMMOI requested the minister to nominate Dr ET Neelakanta Mooss of Ashtavaidya families as member to the National Medicinal Plant Board.

Health Ministry ropes in IIM-A to promote AYUSH

Health Ministry ropes in IIM-A to promote AYUSH

Express News Service
Tags : Indian Institute of Management, Anil K Gupta, Dr C H Raveendar
Posted: Sat May 07 2011, 02:06 hrs
Ahmedabad:
                                 
                                       The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) is drawing up recommendations for the Union Health Ministry on how can AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) medicines be promoted better in the country. IIM-A has been entrusted with the task by the Department of AYUSH.                                           IIM-A professor Anil K Gupta said that currently AYUSH makes up barely 0.4 per cent of the total healthcare system in India, so the aim is to integrate AYUSH systems among themselves and also with allopathic medicine.

                                        “AYUSH has not been able to reach people in rural and urban areas. It is an affordable medical system for the rural and urban poor. Even for the affluent it is a preventive system that is greatly useful because it targets lifestyle, food, mental health and overall well-being,” he said.                                                                The recommendations will be finalised after a three-tier set of programmes concludes. At present, the third set of dignitaries, including doctors, researchers and field workers, is attending a five-day programme at the institute.
                                     The first and second set made up of officials, policy-makers and institution heads have been concluded. Dr C H Raveendar, assistant director-in-charge of the Regional Research Institute (Homoeo) at Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh, said the participants and IIM-A faculty are sharing experiences to find a way to boost the AYUSH systems.
                                     
                                       Several research findings have been presented in the course of the programmes and IIM-A faculty have also looked at the management aspects.