OFFICER-IN-CHARGE’S PAGE

           

        During the Sixth Five Year Plan Period (1980-85), the concept of Regional Medical Research Centers (RMRCs) evolved within the ICMR. The Governing Body of the ICMR approved in principle the establishment of a RMRC at Bangalore (later shifted to Belgaum) at its 50th meeting held on 2nd May 1980. Twenty acres of land was allotted to ICMR in 1984 by the Government of Karnataka in Belgaum. The Centre was to be established with the objective of addressing the documentation and validation of traditional remedies/herbal medicines with special emphasis to those in the Western Ghats, which is one of the global biodiversity hot spots. Although the construction of residential quarters was initiated and completed by State PWD around the year 2000, the Centre could not be established owing to several reasons.

            In 2003 attempts were reinitiated to make this Centre functional. A Research Assistant was transferred from Tuberculosis Research Centre, Chennai. I started visiting this Centre from March 2003 and took charge as the Officer-in-Charge in January 2004. Basic infrastructure was developed subsequently by follow up with the state PWD Belgaum. In August 2004, one of the quarters was converted into an office and laboratory. Contract staff was provided by the Council which helped us to start various activities. I wish to place on record our sincere gratitude to the neighboring institutes like J.N. Medical College, College of Pharmacy, BMK Ayurveda College, District Civil Hospital, Department of Botany, Karnataka University, Dharwad etc. for their timely assistance in development of collaborative projects and research activities.

               The Centre was officially inaugurated on 20th May 2006 by Prof. N.K. Ganguly the former Director General, ICMR, in the presence of Shri Shakaranandji former Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, and Member of Parliament from Belgaum Shri. Suresh Angadiji. We are grateful to Prof. Ganguly and Dr. Vasantha Muthuswamy, former Chief, BMS, ICMR for their support and encouragement.

                The Centre began its research activities in 2005 in some of the thrust areas like studies on incidence of various diseases in the Belgaum region and documentation of medicinal plants of the Western Ghats. A database on Ethnomedicinal plants of Western Ghats used by traditional healers (non codified system) for the treatment of various diseases was subsequently established. With extra mural funds, the Centre is actively involved in setting up a Museum of Ethnomedicinal plants and a garden for medicinal plants. In collaboration with local NGO, the Centre has now started working towards revitalization of Traditional Health practices of the Belgaum district. Phytochemical studies and screening biological activities of some of the medicinal plants is in progress. A state-of-the art Microbiology and Molecular Biology lab is being set up which is expected to be fully functional by the end of 2009. Studies have been proposed to generate a database of genetic resources of endemic and endangered medicinal plants of the Western Ghats and to generate genetic barcodes for plants with documented medicinal value. Plans are also afoot to study the microbiology and molecular biology of locally prevalent infectious diseases.

                  I am sure, with the increasing work force, state-of-art infrastructure and the ongoing construction of the laboratory building, the Centre shall achieve its mandate soon to establish a national Centre to promote research collating inter-systems of medicine and to bridge the gap between modern and traditional medicine. Indeed scientific validation of herbal medicine and undertaking clinical trials for selective leads will be one of the most important activities of the Centre. We shall strive hard to establish this Centre as a premium National Institute for Research in Herbal Medicine and contribute meaningfully to human health and welfare.