THRISSUR: Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare S Gandhiselvan has called for the exploitation of vast potential for the export of traditional drugs and its formulations. Inaugurating the Rs 2.6-crore Research and Development Centre of the State-owned Pharmaceutical Corporation (IM) Kerala Limited, Oushadhi, Kuttanellur, near here on Friday, he said that there was a great potential for export of traditional drugs.
"The international demand for traditional drugs and formulations was growing at an annual rate of about 20 percent and India should take advantage of the growing market," the minister said. With a view to exploiting the growing international market for traditional drugs, India has signed MoUs with Brazil, South Africa, China, Russia and the US, he said.
Presiding over the function, State Health Minister P K Sreemathi appreciated the efforts being made by the Union Government for the promotion of traditional system of medical care and financial and other supports provided to the Oushadhi. She said that the Central Government was planning to organise two national seminars in the state for the promotion of ayurveda in the next few months.
She said that while the first seminar on 'ayurveda and eye care' would be held in Kochi next month, the other on 'Ayurveda and women’s health’ would be held in Thiruvananthapuram in January next year.
With its present production capacity, Oushadhi is not able to meet the demand for ayurvedic drugs and formulations fully. A Rs 25-crore expansion project for Oushadhi is being prepared and the project would be submitted to the Union Ministry of Health for necessary financial assistance, she said.
Assembly Speaker K Radhakrishnan launched three new products developed by Oushadhi at the function. P C Chacko MP, Rajaji Mathew Thomas MLA, Health and Family Welfare secretary Manoj Joshi, and others spoke.
Oushadhi chairman C O Poulose welcomed the gathering, managing director H Nagesh Prabhu presented the report and financial controller P M Narayanan proposed a vote of thanks.