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Indian Siddha practitioners in Malaysia need support of TN govt for promotion of Siddha system
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Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai
April 12 , 2022
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The Indian Siddha practitioners in Malaysia, a group comprising less than one hundred in number, need support from the government of Tamil Nadu, Siddha community in the state and the Tamil diaspora for the promotion of the traditional healing system in Malaysia.
Siddha, the system of treatment originated in Tamil Nadu, is still confined in the state when other streams of the Ayush have flourished in all the Asian countries. The reason cited for the stagnation of Siddha’s growth is lack of encouragement by government and universities. Although Ayurveda has become globally popular and is accepted by a large number of people everywhere, Siddha is in a state of being still even in the home state also. The Malaysian Siddha practitioners want a change in the attitude of the government as well as of the academic authorities towards the system for the sake of its promotion and growth.
In a telephonic interview with Pharmabiz from Kaula Lumpur, Dr. Paramasivam, secretary of the Malaysian Association of Traditional Indian Medicine (MATIM) which is known in Malaysia as Pertubuhan Perubatan Traditional Indian Malaysia (PEPTIM) that the system has wide acceptance in the country, and the people there--Indian or Malaysian--prefer traditional Indian medicines to Chinese which are also available in plenty. According to him, if the government of Tamil Nadu initiates some programs for the promotion of the system, Malaysia will become a market of Siddha medications in another ten years. He said the people of Malaysia are aware of Ayurveda, but only the Indian Malaysians know about Siddha.
PEPTIM will soon write a letter to the chief minister of Tamil Nadu requesting support to the practitioners and for the system.
"We need all kinds of support, especially in the areas of education and manufacturing (academy and industry). Students of Indian Malaysians are interested to do medical courses in the Siddha system, but, unfortunately, there is no facility for doing educational programmes in the country. If the government of Tamil Nadu lets students from Malaysia to study courses in institutions in Chennai or other places, Malaysia will get more Siddha graduates who will be recognized by the local government here. Malaysian health authorities give very much support for Indian traditional medicines which are imported from India and distributed to all the clinics. Alongside, we need one Siddha medical college and a drug manufacturing unit,” he told Pharmabiz.
Dr. Kanniappan Kannaiah, a member of PEPTIM and a senior Siddha varmologist (varma therapist) practicing in government clinics in Kaula Lumpur, said the government of Malaysia is now taking steps to encourage Indian traditional treatments in the country with some projects and programmes. He said everybody has now understood the efficacy of Siddha medications and the number of people availing the system is increasing every day. He also said that the Indian people in Malaysia are waiting for opportunities from the Indian government, especially from the government of Tamil Nadu, to learn the Siddha system in India. According to him, if the government offers some kind of scholarship and other incentives for Siddha medical education in Tamil Nadu, students from Malaysia will come to India for enrollment in Siddha colleges.
Talking to Pharmabiz, Dr. Kanniappan said he did his Ph D in varmology (varma therapy in Chennai) thirty years ago and hails from a traditional healer’s family in Malaysia. His father was also a Siddha healer. All over Malaysia there are over one hundred Siddha and varma practitioners working in various clinics, but registered practitioners are only 35, according to PEPTIM’s survey.
Regarding availability of Siddha medicines for treatment, he said all medicines are imported from India by drug traders and the regulatory body will check the quality of the medicines in the laboratory. The government will give approval for the medicines only if fool-proof efficacy is proven in the lab test.
Dr. Paramasivam said the practitioners of the Traditional and Complementary Medicines (TCM) department under the Ministry of Health in Malaysia has now permitted Siddha and Ayurveda practitioners to register with the department. So far 35 practitioners have registered their certificates and the process is going on. He said Siddha graduates from Tamil Nadu are also practicing in the country and have membership with their association.
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