National workshop of tribal healers

Kozhikode: A four-day National Tribal Healers workshop and exhibition on tribal medicine will get underway here from Friday with the objective of sharing Research and Development experience gained by researchers and tribal healers of Kerala and elsewhere in the country.

Another aim would be to provide a platform to tribal healers to discuss tribal medicine related traditional knowledge on biodiversity and evolve a strategy for transmission of this intangible natural heritage to the next generation in a professional manner, Dr S Bindu, Director, Kerala Institute for Research Training and Development Studies of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes told mediapersons here today.

The workshop would also discuss issues related to the biodiversity Act, protection of Intellectual Property Rights and various other things, she said. The workshop also proposes to deliverate on steps to be undertaken by State and Central Government to recognise tribal healers as the most appropriate human resource for providing health care to the tribal population of the country, she said.

During the workshop healers would exchange their skills in massage therapy, steambath techniques and other therapeutic knowledge and techniques.The workshop has been organised by KIRTADS and Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal.