Mr. S. Gandhiselvan has appealed that international cooperation in the area of Indian systems of medicine should be encouraged and great priority should be attached to gathering evidence for these systems.
He pointed out that the Government of India has been making concerted efforts to integrate these systems into the national health care structure. Today India is the world leader in these medical systems with the widest network of educational, research, healthcare and pharmaceutical institutions of these medicines.
Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare pointed out that the recent years have witnessed growing global interest in the potential of Indian medicines. The use of plant-based drugs has increased manifold to not only the developing countries but also the developed nations like Germany, Australia, UK, Holland and United States of America.
Prof. G.N. Qazi, Vice Chancellor, Hamdard University, New Delhi said that the traditional medicine practice should be allowed in India because the majority population in India is still depend on traditional medicine like Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy. It is the duty of Unani Physician that they should introduce Unani system of medicine in the world.
Prof. S. Shakir Jamil, Director General, Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) explained that the integrative medicine refers to combinations of conventional and alternative medical treatments which have some scientific proof of efficacy as well as a historical and cultural perspective. He said that Unani Medicine has a rich historical and cultural perspective in India and it is in this country that Unani Medicine has been developed to greater heights during the past one thousand years.
Prof. (Hm.) Syed Khalifatullah, Vice President, Central Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM) urged the physicians to take the modern methodology to develop the Unani Medicine as it can be standardized with modern technique.
Prof. Tajuddin, Dean, Faculty of Unani Medicine said that Practioners of conventional medicine generally tend to ignore complementary and alternative medicine in spite of the fact that the percentage of people who use some form of such medicaments worldwide is greater than 80 percent.
Prof. Saadul Hasan Afaq, Organizing Secretary of the Conference said that although Natural Health Product (NHP) is used since centuries in almost all the parts of the globe. There is a renewed interest in many new arrays for exploration and regulation related development both as pharmaceutical and nutritional products. The conference will provide the international forum to discuss the matter and incredible opportunity of debate and exchange of Ideas with the leading experts.
Prof. Saud Ali Khan, Principal, A.K. Tibbiya College proposed vote of thanks and Dr. F.S. Sheerani conducted the programme.