BHUBANESWAR: The Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS) and Utkal University Tuesday signed an MoU for research, education and digitisation of manuscripts of the State so that research work on ayurveda and drug development will get priority as Orissa is a storehouse of natural herbs and medicinal species.
CCRAS, the apex body controlling city-based Central Research Institute for Ayurveda (CRIA), had earlier facilitated several tribal health-care projects, carried out a medico-botanical exploration of nine forest divisions of the State and multi-centric open trial on certain drugs for treatment of anaemia.
``However, today’s MoU will focus on new collaborative research and teaching programmes in the areas of drug formulations, efficacy of drugs, establishing diagnostic methods usings sophisticated laboratory investigations, Ph.D programmes, digitisation of ancient ayurvedic manuscripts preserved at Parija Library of the varsity which could be published through a joint effort later, short-term refresher courses for teachers, students and scholars, medical and technical consultancy, pre-clinical toxicological studies and pharmacokinetics or clinical trial and facilities for trials of by-products developed by the joint effort and knowledge sharing,’’ said CCRAS Director-General Dr GS Lavekar.
Saying that future is very bright for ayurveda since it offers holistic healing and economical as the whole world is showing interest in the subject, students can take up multi-disciplinary approach and work on many interesting aspects of various traditional Indian medicine systems, Lavekar added.
``The city-based CCRAS-run facility will be soon transformed into a new campus called National Research Institute in Ayurvedic and Drug Development at Jokalandi on the outskirts so that more multi-centric drug trials on vector-borne diseases like malaria and filaria affecting skin and gastro intestinal system can be taken up,’’ he said adding currently it is focusing on specific projects like ayurvedic documentation both in local language and English, ethno-botanical studies and pharmaco-vigilance programmes.
Utkal University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Binayak Rath said as the State is rich in biodiversity, the students must try to utilise the resources to develop economically viable alternatives to fight diseases. UU Registrar LN Sahoo signed the document on behalf of the University. CRIA joint-director Dr RK Swamy was present.
