The Modi Government's Mission ‘Madhumeha through Ayurveda’ to holistically tackle lifestyle diseases like diabetes is moving on the right track.

A pilot project under the Mission, which was launched in 2016, has been rolled out in three districts -  Bhilwara (Rajasthan), Surendranagar (Gujarat) and Gaya (Bihar) -  wherein the targeted beneficiaries are being given ayurveda treatment, dietary regimen and yoga classes.

The project initiated by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) with the Directorate General of Health Services of the Health Ministry is successfully functional in 52 centres - 49 community health centres (CHCs) and three district hospitals in the three districts, said Shripad Naik, Union Minister of Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) (AYUSH),  recently in the Rajya Sabha.

On the platter are variety of ayurveda drugs like BGR-34 and AYUSH-82 developed by Government's reputed  research institutions for the patients to tackle the disease without any side effects. For instance, BGR-34 has been jointly developed after standardisation and pre-clinical studies by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research's (CSIR) two labs --Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) and National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI). It is meant to be used by patients of newly diagnosed diabetes only as a measure of management of the disease, Naik added.

launched two years ago, BGR-34, is being sold by the Delhi-based AIMIl Pharmaceuticals. Sanchit Sharma from the AIMIl Pharma said, it is an add-on or adjuvant to existing diabetes treatment helping to maintain normal blood glucose levels, in addition to improving the immune system, releasing antioxidants and checking free radicals.

Similarly, the CCRAS has developed an anti-diabetic formulation namely AYUSH-82 and commercialised to several pharmaceutical companies through Delhi-based National Research Development Corporation (NRDC).  "The licensing of technologies to companies is a source of revenue in terms of lump sum fee and royalty, which is shared between NRDC and CCRAS," as per the memorandum of association signed with these companies, the Minister said. India already has the highest number of diabetic individuals in the world, with over 50 million  suffering with the lifestyle disease. The number is expected to rise by 200 percent in the next 10 years. Auyrveda experts feel ayurveda drugs do not have any side effects while it helps in increasing the stamina of the patient.