ALUVA: The Clinical Research Unit (Unani) in Edathala near Aluva, the only such centre in Kerala, will get a facelift. Syed Sakir Jameel, director-general of the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine of the Department of Ayush, Government of India, inspected two sites in Edathala as part of launching a Rs 6-crore research project to promote unani system.
The unani system offers exclusive and effective treatment for arthritis, asthma, leucoderma (white patch), sinusitis and
hepatitis.
K P Dhanapalan MP, Assistant director of Clinical Research Institute Dr Syed Sadullah Hardi, Edathala panchayat president Muneer, elected representatives and officials of various social organisations accompanied the director-general when he inspected the proposed sites in Edathala on Thursday.
Jameel said that suitable sites will be identified in the new project. The Regional Research Unit requires 1 acre to 2.5 acres of land.
The project includes a collaborative unit at the Ernakulam District Hospital.
The space for the centre will be provided in the District Hospital. The staff and medicine will be arranged by the unani centre.
The project also envisages a mobile unit. The unit will identify four different areas. The doctor and staff will visit such spots once a week to examine patients and distribute medicine. This practice will continue for one year.
They will visit different places every year offering facilities to patients in these areas. About 450 patients are treated as outpatients in the clinical centre at Edathala every day. Over 1.60 lakh patients were treated at the clinic in the last financial year, said assistant director Dr Syed Sadullah Hardi.
Jameel said he was extremely happy to see the interest of the public and elected representatives in unani system. He called upon the elected representatives to give all the support to implement the project without delay.
“A government cannot serve society without the support of the people. It is duty-bound to ensure healthcare. The proposal for the Regional Research Centre in Unani in Edathala will be a success since a large number of patients are treated here every day.
He said the research should highlight the diseases which are common in the area so that the research scholars would get sufficient number of patients.
Meanwhile, MES has offered to provide temporary accommodation to begin the research centre in Edathala.