Sarbananda Sonowal, Pema Khandu Lays Foundation Stone for Capacity Expansion at NEIAFMR

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal and Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Pema Khandu laid the foundation stones for capacity expansion at the North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Folk Medicine Research (NEIAFMR) at Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday.

With a total investment of Rs 53 crores, additional infrastructure will be developed at the NEIAFMR.

Speaking on the occasion, Sarbananda Sonowal said that folk medicine has helped generations to enrich their lives.

He said, "Folk medicine has a rich heritage of healing humanity for thousands of years. It has remained among our communities helping generations to enrich their lives. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, a sincere effort has been made to rejuvenate traditional medicine including the folk medicine to bolster our healthcare system and provide people with an experience of enriched life experience. Supplementing this effort, the Modi government has committed investment to build additional infrastructure at the NEIAFMR which will build its capacity to act as a catalyst to strengthen its research and development in Ayurveda and folk medicine from the region. I am also happy to share with you all that a new centre on Sowa Rigpa will be set up in Arunachal Pradesh soon.”

The institute has also been working towards scientifically document, record, research as well as validate the folk medicine of the Northeast. The capacity expansion at the institute includes an Academic building, hostels for boys and girls students, staff quarters as well as director’s bungalow. The hostels will accommodate 70 boys and 70 girls students from the institute. The investment will cater to the development of additional infrastructure for opening of Ayurveda college for imparting quality in undergraduate course in Ayurveda, Bachelor of Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) as well as Post Graduate courses in due course of time. The new Ayurveda college at NEIAFMR, Pasighat will promote and develop Ayurveda through Education, Research and Extension Services. The Engineering Projects (India) Limited, a Government of India enterprise, is the executing agency for the project.

Speaking on the occasion, Pema Khandu said, “We are very happy that an institution of Arunachal Pradesh - North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Folk Medicine Research (NEIAFMR) - is working towards harnessing the richness of folk medicine of the Northeast. Under the inspiring leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, institute capacity is being expanded that will not only help the traditional medicine from the region but also is an opportunity to document our age old folk medicine in a scientific manner for wider application in patient care beyond its traditional geographical reach.”

The NEIAFMR was established to strengthen and develop traditional healthcare, with a special focus on the Northeast. It functions as the apex Research Centre for all aspects of Local Health Traditions (LHTs) and Ethno Medicinal Practices (EMPs). The Institute has also been working as a common ground for traditional healers, Ayurvedic researchers as well as scientific community in order to scientifically prove & validate the efficacy of traditional medicine towards enrichment of human lives.

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