The Kerala State Government is planning to set up a separate department for Ayush

The State Government is planning to set up a separate department for Ayush, for the administration of the Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems of medicine, Health Minister V S Sivakumar has said.

Speaking at the second session of a seminar on ‘Conservation of our traditional medicinal plants’ to sensitise mediapersons and people’s representatives organised under the aegis of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) and State Medicinal Plant Board here, he said that the Central Government had started allotting substantial funds for the development of these sectors at the national level. 

He said that Kerala would benefit greatly once the department is set up as there would be huge Central assistance for this sector. The Minister said that the State Government has plans to plant medicinal plants in all schools in the state. Efforts have already been made to plant medicinal plants on all government office premises.

 Earlier, inaugurating the seminar, Tourism and SC and Backward Classes Welfare Minister A P Anil Kumar said that Kerala which was considered the home of Ayurvedic system of medicine is now lagging behind in the production and export of medicinal plants. He pointed out that China had become the larger exporter of medicinal plants. ‘’Now our contribution in the sector is very low. We are not exploiting our potential. Production and export of medicinal plants could be a major source of income,’’ he said. source:http://newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/article1341600.ece