Northeast gets its second Ayurvedic college in Shillong

Shillong: AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik on Thursday inaugurated the North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Homeopathy (NEIAH) here to provide health care to the people of northeastern states.

With its inauguration, NEIAH became the second Ayurvedic college in the Northeast with a Homeopathy college, and the Central Academic Institute of Ayush in Assam's Guwahati.

Naik said the primary aim of the Institute is to produce quality human resource in the area of AYUSH in general and particularly in the fields of Ayurveda and Homoeopathy, along with Yoga.

"It will provide quality research and inter-disciplinary research in the area of plant-based medical sciences. The entire northeast India is blessed with rich natural resources and with flora and fauna in great abundance, which can fulfil the quest of the scientific community for research," he said.

Underscoring the need to preserve and promote knowledge of traditional healers from across the northeastern region, Naik said, "We have to take this knowledge and use it in our modern system. We are trying to take and make it scientifically validated based on ethno-botanical and scientific research with practical suitability for clinical practices."

Dedicating NEIAH to the nation and its people, the Union Minister said the institute will seriously involve in research and development to explore herbal-agro based industry and ultimately promote the cultivation of medicinal plants in this region.

"NEIAH will also work with priority to popularise Panchakarma and Yoga, along with production of para-medical staff for development of skill for the youth of this region," he said

NEIAH has started functioning with one college of Ayurveda and one college of Homoeopathy from the academic session 2016-17.

The Institute admitted 50 candidates each for BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery) and BHMS (Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine & Surgery) courses, which commenced from November 30, 2016.

The Institute is affiliated to the North Eastern Hills University (NEHU), Shillong for both these courses. The seats are reserved for the states of northeastern region, along with 24 seats under the All India Open Seats Quota.

NEIAH is presently running with OPD and IPD (Ayurvedic & Homoeopathic) with qualified specialist doctors with all diagnostic and laboratory facilities. Free Panchakarma therapies, along with free laboratory diagnostic facilities, are also available.

At present a 60-bedded Ayurveda hospital and a 20-bedded Homoeopathy hospital are functional.