Source: The Hindu
NEW DELHI, INDIA, MAY 21, 2001: The Union Health Minister, Dr. C. P. Thakur, following an agreement reached in principle between his ministry and the Urban Development Ministry and the Delhi Development Authority for site allotment, announced that a state-of-art National Ayurvedic Hospital will be set up at Sarita Vihar in the capital. The hospital will be set up in natural surroundings with medicinal plants supported by a mini-pharmacy. It will offer specialized Ayurvedic programs. The Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy has allocated funds for the project with well-equipped hospital and post graduate teaching and research facilities. Dr. Thakur and Ms. Shailaja Chandra, secretary, Department of Indian Systems of Medicine, said that a digital medicinal library project, aimed at protecting the medicinal plants and herbs from being patented by others, was underway and would be completed by the end of this year. It would document medicinal plants and herbs with their botanical names and properties.