Traditional medical systems are the heritage of our cultural identity and public service: Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai

Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai today attended the State-level Traditional Healers’ Conference organized by the Chhattisgarh Tribal Local Health Tradition and Medicinal Plant Board at Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Auditorium, Raipur.

Addressing the conference, the Chief Minister announced that the state government will train all registered traditional healers (vaidyas) and issue them registration certificates, ensuring they do not face any problems due to lack of documentation.

Traditional healers from various districts of the state welcomed the Chief Minister with garlands made of medicinal herbs. On this occasion, he also visited the exhibition of medicinal plants.

Mentioning Padma Shri Hemchand Manjhi, the Chief Minister said that even while living in remote areas, Shri Manjhi treats serious diseases through his traditional knowledge. “People from as far as the United States come to him for treatment — this is a matter of pride for all of us,” he said. Shri Sai added that the vaidya tradition represents India’s ancient and rich system of medicine. India has about 60,000 to 70,000 vaidyas, of which nearly 1,500 are active in Chhattisgarh.

The Chief Minister noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) has also recognized India’s traditional medical systems. He said Chhattisgarh has earned a national reputation as a “Herbal State”, with more than 1,500 medicinal plant species found here. A factory has been established in Jamgaon (Patna), Durg district, for extracting essences from medicinal plants.

Shri Sai mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting natural medicine and has created a separate Ministry of AYUSH to accelerate initiatives in this field.

Highlighting the abundance of high-quality herbs in Chhattisgarh, the Chief Minister said the government is developing a cluster-based model to maximize the local use of region-specific herbs. The aim is to connect local vaidyas with employment and make them economically self-reliant, while also taking concrete steps for the conservation of medicinal plants and trees.

Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ramvichar Netam said that vaidyas hold an extremely important place in society. He compared Padma Shri Hemchand Manjhi to Sushen Vaidya from the Ramayana, who treated Lord Lakshman. “Just like Sushen Vaidya, Shri Manjhi is successfully curing rare and critical diseases in Chhattisgarh,” he said, adding that traditional healers contribute not only to human health but also to animal health.

Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Tribal Local Health Tradition and Medicinal Plant Board, Shri Vikas Markam, informed that over 1,300 vaidyas have registered for the conference. Under the ‘Navratna Yojana’, the Board will promote the plantation of nine medicinal plants such as Harra, Bahera, Amla, and Moringa across the state.

Padma Shri Hemchand Manjhi, sharing his experiences as a traditional healer, said that vaidyas possess the ability to eliminate diseases from the root. With proper knowledge and combinations of herbs, they can even treat certain types of cancer, he noted.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Shri V. Srinivas Rao, said that in remote areas where modern medical services do not reach, traditional healers continue to serve people through their ancestral knowledge. Empowering and protecting these healers is everyone’s responsibility, he emphasized.

During the conference, vaidyas from all over the state took an oath of integrity and confidentiality in the presence of the Chief Minister. Shri Sai also distributed 25 herbal grinding machines to selected vaidyas. Additionally, a book by Dr. Devyani Sharma, published by the Chhattisgarh State Biodiversity Board, was released on this occasion. The book documents the traditional healing practices and medicinal plants preserved by the vaidyas of the Durg forest division.

The conference was also addressed by CEO of the Medicinal Plant Board, Shri J.A.C.S. Rao. Distinguished guests included Chairman of the Chhattisgarh State Biodiversity Board, Shri Rakesh Chaturvedi, Vice-Chancellor of AYUSH University, Shri Pradeep Kumar Patra, traditional healers from across the state, and other eminent citizens.