OPD facility for ISM in every distt hospital soon

KT NEWS SERVICE SRINAGAR, Feb 14: The state government has decided to set-up an OPD facility for Indian Systems of Medicines (ISM) in every district and sub-district hospital besides Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences.

Several other measures have been taken to give boost to Unani and Ayurvedic system of medicines.

They include setting-up of 50 bedded hospital which is coming up at Shalteng.

The OPD facility in the particular hospital has already started functioning.

"All these measures will pave way for the absorption of 400 to 500 unemployed ISM doctors and solve to a large extend growing unemployment in the sector", said Dr Mohan Sethi, director department of ISM.

For opening an OPD facility for ISM at the district and sub-district hospitals, the director said, an amount of Rs 70 lakhs has been sanctioned by the central government.

The government has also conceded a long pending demand for setting up provincial level Unani hospital which is coming up at Shalteng.

"From now onwards each allopathic dispensary will have two ISM doctors", the director added.

"We have also submitted a proposal of setting up a Unani and Ayurvedic college, one each at Jammu and Srinagar.

The proposal will cost Rs 50 crores and the state government has taken it up with the centre", the officials said.

A number of other measures have been taken up to give boost to the traditional system of medicine and upgrade the production of medicinal plants.

In the first exercise of its type, the department has also set-up herbal gardens in valley and Jammu which are coming up at the cost of Rs 50 lakhs.

Vanaspati Van, a herbal garden has been developed in the Sindh area of Ganderbal.

A similar garden was developed at Basholi in Jammu.

Insiders in the department said several other medicinal gardens are also in the pipeline.

"Medicinal plants have a huge potential and our valley is rich in such herbs.

This has a potential to boost the economy of state and at some stage entrepreneurs can also join", they said.