Northeast gets first Unani medicine institute

Silchar: A first-of-its-kind institute on Unani medicine in the Northeast was inaugurated by Union Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Silchar town of Assam on Sunday. The Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine (RRIUM), spread over an area of 3.5 acres, was built at an investment of Rs 48 crore.

"The effectiveness of Ayush system of medicine in enhancing the quality of life of people is a proven fact and, which is why, we are working on a medical system, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where the best of contemporary medicine can be supplemented with the traditional medicinal practices of Ayush," Sonowal said.

Unani medicine has global acceptance and is practised across countries, he said.

The RRIUM, besides providing a wide range of patient care services, will also focus on conducting scientific research on different aspects, fundamental and applied, of Unani medicine, and on diseases that are more prevalent in the Northeast, especially in Assam, officials said.

The centre is also equipped to screen patients with non-communicable diseases, they said.