Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 196/09

COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH FAIR HELD

A four-day Comprehensive Health Fair on Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy entitled “AROGYA” was today formally inaugurated by the Meghalaya Governor, Mr. R S Mooshahary at Madan Iewrynghep, Laitumkhrah, Shillong. The inaugural function was also attended by Principal Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Health Department, Mr. A K Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, Mr. B Anand, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM, Mr. D S Rawat, Director, Health Service (MI), Dr. K H Lakiang besides other senior government officials.

The fair is being jointly organized by the Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India and Government of Meghalaya in association with ASSOCHAM.

In his inaugural speech, Mr. Mooshahary said that it is a laudable objective, as it is expected to go a long way in promoting the use AYUSH systems of medicines in curing the disease and improving the health standards of the people in India in general and Meghalaya in particular. He also said that the health of the people is very important factor and has a direct bearing on the development potential of a society, adding the recognized fact that healthy people will usher in better development, while higher incidence of illness will lead to loss of productive man days and thus reduce the level of development. He further stated that the fair will help to create awareness to the people of the State in the field of health sector. He also informed that Meghalaya has a high diversity of medicinal plants and a rich tradition of local health care system with the number of medicinal plants species growing in Meghalaya is known to be 834. He further asserted that this sector also holds promise for poverty alleviation and employment generation in rural areas through production of quality planting material, cultivation, processing, value addition and marketing either through grassroots level institutions or through entrepreneurship development.

Others who spoke on the occasion included Principal Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Health Department, Mr. A K Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, Mr. B Anand, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM, Mr. D S Rawat, while Director, Health Service (MI), Dr. K H Lakiang proposed the vote of thanks.

Mr. Mooshahary also released the souvenir of AYUSH at the fair, the students of CCRYN, Manipur also demonstrated the art of yoga.

It may be mentioned here that it is for the first time that the AROGYA is being organized in Meghalaya and the North East under the scheme of Regional Arogya fairs of the Government of India. The fair will be open to public daily from May 1st to May 4th, 2009 from 11.00 AM to 8.00 PM and the entry is free to the fair.