The Hindu Business Line : Amrita research centre plans course in modern medicine, Ayurveda at Kochi

The Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre (AIMS) plans a foundation course for six months for experts in modern medicine and Indian system of medicine — Ayurveda — to build up a proper communication between the two systems of medicine.

As a prelude to this, the AIMS would set up an Ayurvedic wing in its Medical College and Research Centre here for which the Union Government has already sanctioned a grant of Rs 22 lakh, Dr D.M. Vasudevan, Principal, College of Medicine, AIMS, told Business Line. A wing of modern medicine has been set up in the Ayurvedic Medical College and Research Centre at Vallikavu of the Matha Amritanandamayi Mission, he said. "Our idea is to encourage interaction between the two systems of medicine leading to the establishment of ISM wings in all the leading allopathic hospitals," he said.

Through these efforts there could be integration among the systems and the physicians could "decide on what kind of treatment should be given to the patients".

The AIMS would also take the initiate to start toxicity studies in a small way now as a prelude to start clinical tests on Ayurvedic drugs. "Once the toxicity studies area completed the allopathic system could think of doing the clinical trials", Dr A.K.K. Unni, Professor Research Coordination, AIMS said. He said that so many components are used in Ayurvedic drugs but it is not known which is the "active principal component" in a drug, which is responsible for the cure. For instance "Serpanil" a drug used in modern medicine is derived from the medicinal plant "Serpagandhi". Similarly, there are anti-diabetic drugs in Ayurveda but "we have still to identify the active principal component in it", he said.

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