Medicinal plants processing zones to come up in metros

In a bid to propagate the cultivation and create an awareness on the value of herbal plants among the farming community, medicinal plants processing zones will be set up in the four metros. The zones will provide loans and seeds to farmers and eventually will be exporting the herbal products.

Announcing this on the sidelines of the inauguration of National Institute of Siddha, Anbumani Ramadoss, Union minister for health and family welfare, said that the first phase of talks were over with the ministry of commerce and industry. Accordingly, the zones will be set up in the four metros "" Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

On a key healthcare issue, he said that plans are there in accordance with the Clinical Establishment Act to accredit and register all the hospitals and diagnostic centres across the country. Ramadoss added that a minimum of one year rural posting will be made mandatory for all the medicos.

The minister said that projects such as setting up of a Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), in which all the formulations will be registered and patented, are in the pipeline. The first phase of registration is complete with the registering of over 7,500 ayurveda and 15,000 Unani formulations, he added.

The National Institute of Siddha, a joint venture between the state and Union governments, is set up at a cost of Rs 47 crore with 120 beds.

The institute also offers six postgraduate courses in various streams like psychiatry and paediatrics.