Dangs pharmacy marches ahead

Interestingly, the pharmacy has also helped set up a co-operative of Dangi Bhagats8217; traditional doctors of the tribal area, who provide the necessary herbs to the pharmacy. More than 1,200 ayurvedic preparations like churna, kawath, oils, bhashma, juices, lep, gutika, vati, aasav, avaleh and kalpa are at present being manufactured at the pharmacy from the herb-rich forests of Dangs.

The release added that the pharmacy has been self-sufficient for the past few years. It was funded by the district panchayat and the tribal sub-plan in its initial stages, but has sold medicines worth Rs 52 lakh, 50 lakh and Rs 63 lakh respectively in 1996, 1997 and 1998. This is a many-fold increase from the Rs 1.52 lakh business it achieved during its first two years.About 20 per cent of the entire amount of medicines required by the state government is met by the Dangs Ayurved Pharmacy. These medicines are being used in government-run ayurveda hospitals, dispensaries and units where ESIC facilities are being implemented. The release said some of the preparations of the pharmacy, like Leh Chavanprash, Darshan Sanskar Churna, Kesh Shuddhi Churna, Bhringraj Tel, Kutaj and Triphala I K Compound tablets, were extremely popular among the people.

Besides producing commercially lucrative trees like teak, khair and bamboo, the thickly forested 1,704 square kilometre Dangs district is also a storehouse of innumerable medicinal plants. The release added that with a renewed awareness and interest among people regarding ayurveda the pharmacy has a bright future. And since ayurveda medicines are cheaper and come without any side-effect, the pharmacy will not only provide medicines to the state, it will send these throughout the country in the near future, the release said.