'Teach Tamil, Urdu to push Siddha, Unani med systems'

While giving a big push to the promotion of indigenous medicinal systems, a Parliamentary Committee on Wednesday pushed for the teaching of Urdu and Tamil in colleges offering Unani and Siddha systems of medicine.

It noted that the knowledge of Tamil is critical for understanding the Siddha system of medicine and of Urdu for Unani Medicine.

The panel stressed that these two languages be taught in the colleges offering courses in these systems of medicine.

The department-related Standing Committee of Parliament on Health and Family Welfare chaired by Samajwadi Party member Ramgopal Yadav, recommended the inclusion of Yoga and Naturopathy in the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (ISM) Bill, 2019 and setting up of a separate board of Yoga and Naturopathy for their regulation.

To make education in Homeopathy, Unani and Siddha affordable, the Committee recommended that fees for 50 per cent of the seats should be decided by the Fee Fixation Committees of the state governments or by the National Commissions for ISM and Homeopathy.

It also took note of lack of an effective mechanism for redressal of grievances from the patients, doctors and the teaching institutions and recommended the setting up of a common Medical Appellate Tribunal for both ISM and Homeopathy.

The panel also recommended a substantial increase in representation of the states/UTs on the proposed separate National Commissions for Indian System of Medicine and Homeopathy for ensuring cooperative federalism between the Centre and the states.

The Committee recommended new composition of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine with a rise in the membership from 29 to 44 and from 22 to 27 in respect of the National Commission for Homeopathy.

The Committee recommended an increase in the representation of States/UTs from the proposed 6 to 10 on the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine and from 5 to 10 on the National Commission for Homeopathy.