India has taken the lead in the field of traditional medicine in the world and emphasized on the need for bolstering evidence based scientific research in Ayush sector said Union Minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal on the occasion of Unani Day 2023 and formal inauguration of International Conference held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

The event was also attended by Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Law and Justice; Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai, Union Minister of State for Ayush; Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush; Pramod Kumar Pathak, Special Secretary, Ministry of Ayush; Dr. M. A. Qasmi, Joint Advisor (Unani), Ministry of Ayush; Prof. Asim Ali Khan, Director General, CCRUM; and other officials from Ministry of Ayush.

On this occasion Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Under the visionary leadership of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi India has taken the initiative of establishing WHO GCTM. This is the indication that we are taking a leadership role in traditional medicine in the world. We need to strengthen our research capabilities and academic facilities and work towards bolstering evidence-based research.”   

"The vision of the Prime Minister to build a robust healthcare system for the holistic patient care system remains solid as the Union Budget has considerably hiked the budget for the Ministry of Ayush by 20%. He also mentioned that the Unani system of medicine has got enormous support and it has grown since 2014," added Sonowal.

Addressing the gathering, Union Minister of Law & Justice, Kiren Rijiju said, “The Unani system of medicine is India’s rich traditional system of medicine. We witnessed how Ayush based remedies provided relief during COVID-19 pandemic. Our rich traditional medicinal practices can offer us sustainable healthcare solutions which will contribute towards the enrichment of human lives in the country.”

Minister of state for Ayush Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai said, "The Unani Medicine provides detailed guidelines for healthy food habits to maintain health and prevent diseases."

Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush talked about how important role NABH QCI quality certification could play in gaining more acceptances for Ayush systems.

He mentioned that the Ministry of Ayush endeavour is to get entry level NABH certification for 12,500 Ayush Wellness Centers by the end of 2023. 

On this occasion, various publications of the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), international conference souvenirs, and online journals were released. Also, NABH certificate was given to two CCRUM institutes. A mobile app on common remedies in Unani Medicine developed by CCRUM was also launched.

The Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine is also organising a two day international conference on Unani Medicine in hybrid mode. About 1,300 delegates, resource persons, academicians, researchers, and industry representatives are participating in the conference.