Ghaziabad will soon boast of one of north India's largest Unani medicine institute for practice and research, foundation stone for which was laid by Union Minister of State (independent charge) for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik on Friday.
The National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM), being built at a cost of more than Rs 300 crore and will be spread in an area of 10 acres, is an extension of a similar facility in Bengaluru, but will have its own identity, Naik said.
"It will be a postgraduate institute with facilities like OPD, a 200-bedded hospital, pharmacy, hostel for college students etc. The project is expected to be completed in two years," Naik said during his address flanked by Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Ghaziabad MP V K Singh.
He said the Ministry of AYUSH is establishing the institute as a part of its commitment towards provision and promotion of quality education, research and healthcare services through Unani and other traditional Indian medicine systems.
"With a 200-bedded hospital, the institute would cater to the needs of the masses and would have facilities for quality research and education at postgraduate and PhD levels," he added.
"We believe that only curing ill people is not enough to meet our goals of proper healthcare. Instead of curing their illness, it would be easier to provide preventive care against diseases like obesity, diabetes, or heart-related issues. Out traditional medicine systems have answers for this," Naik said.
Singh described the institute was a "gift" to the people of Ghaziabad whose benefits would be reaped by locals and others coming in from outside the district too.
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He said he was grateful to the central government for choosing the "gateway to Uttar Pradesh" for setting up the Unani institute after opening other major AYUSH facilities in Delhi's Sarita Vihar and Narela.
"There are several diseases and disorders for which other medicine systems do not have much to offer. Like there are many skin related problems for which only Unani has a cure," the former Army chief said.