Sowa Rigpa healthcare facility in Arunachal soon: NISR director
National Institute of Sowa Rigpa
(NISR), an autonomous body working on this traditional Himalayan system of medicine, is set to open a healthcare facility in Arunachal Pradesh, a top official said.
Within five years of its establishment, this institute under the ministry of Ayush has already enrolled its fifth batch of students in the undergraduate course, he said.
"Sowa Rigpa is recognised by the government of India as a traditional medical system under the
Ayush ministry
. All the systems of medicine under the ministry have a central institute each, and in line with this, the NISR was announced by the prime minister in 2019. After necessary approvals, the institute started functioning in 2020," NISR director Padma Gurmet told PTI in an interview here.
One of the oldest medical traditions in the world, the term 'Sowa-Rigpa' means 'knowledge of healing' in Bhoti language.
This system is popular in Himalayan societies such as Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh (Spiti and Lahoul), Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal (Darjeeling), Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim.
It is also practiced in some parts of China, Mongolia, Nepal, Russia and Bhutan.
Gurmet said the main objectives of the institute are to impart quality education in the
Sowa Rigpa system of medicine
, conduct research in a scientific line and also cater to public health in the Himalayan region.
He maintained that NISR's progress has been fast as it launched its five-year undergraduate (UG) programme within the first year of establishment.
The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine conducts the NEET for admission into the Bachelor of Sowa Rigpa Medicine and Surgery programme run at NISR.
"We enrolled 10 students in the first year, who will be passing out next year. The fifth batch of students has been inducted this year based on performance in the national-level entrance exam," the director said.
On expansion plans, Gurmet said NISR has been conducting outreach programmes such as seminars and conferences in different places, including Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
"We are now in the process of establishing a
healthcare setup in Arunachal
Pradesh. It will be done in two-three months. After that, we will try to open another campus in Sikkim," he said.
The director said infrastructure development of the NISR is also progressing rapidly.
"The central government has allocated Rs 40 crore for the first phase of construction. A new academic building is coming up, while hostels and a new hospital are in the pipeline. The construction should be completed in three to four years," he added.
Gurmet also emphasised the need for adequate manpower to run the institute and its facilities. A total of 49 posts, including teaching, laboratory, and support staff, have been sanctioned, with the second phase of recruitment currently underway, he added. PTI
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