Trinidad & Tobago sign pact on traditional medicines with India

A memorandum of understanding for co-operation in traditional medicines was signed in New Delhi today between the health ministries of Trinidad and Tobago and India, during the visit of the Prime Minister Ms Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Speaking at the event Azad said that India is blessed with well-developed systems of traditional medicine which hold tremendous potential in the global health scenario.

''It is heartening to know about the interest of madam prime minister in ayurveda and medicinal plants. Trinidad and Tobago, which has a rich population of people of Indian origin (about 42 per cent), will be able to easily appreciate the benefit of Ayurveda as a system for preventing and curing diseases and promoting good health'', he said.

He also said that an  information cell is being set up at the Indian High Commission at Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago to help disseminate knowledge and to deal with queries about Ayurveda.

The signing of the MoU provides a legal frame work for the cooperation between the two countries for the promotion of Indian traditional medicine in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

The agreement is aimed at strengthening and developing co-operation in the field of traditional systems of medicine between the two countries.

The salient features of the MoU include identifying further areas of co-operation for the promotion of traditional medicine including the regulation of teaching, practice, drugs and drugless therapies of traditional systems of medicine within the scope of this MoU; supplying all medicine materials and documents necessary for demonstration and reference in achieving the objectives specified within the framework of the MoU; exchanging experts for training of practitioners, paramedics, scientists, teaching professionals and students in traditional medicine; accommodating interested scientists, practitioners, paramedics and students in institutions for research, educational and training programmes on traditional medicine; mutual recognition of ayurveda, unani, siddha, homeopathy pharmacopeia of India and a herbal pharmacopoeia of Trinidad and Tobago; mutual recognition of educational qualifications in traditional medicines by universities of respective countries.

In order to carry forward the provisions of the MoU, the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), and University of West Indies (UWI) would sign a separate MoU for establishing an ''Ayurveda Chair'' in University of West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago.