Bhagalpur: Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (JLNMCH) in Bhagalpur will become the first medical college in the state to establish a herbal garden on its campus, in line with guidelines for setting up such facilities in educational institutions, including medical colleges. The initiative aims to enable medical students to study the relationship between allopathy (modern western medicine) and Ayurveda, the traditional Hindu system of medicine.The garden will also focus on conserving ‘rare, endangered and threatened’ (RET) species of medicinal plants and will function as a live laboratory for students to identify, study and research various medicinal species. The project is being developed on 40 decimals of land behind the college building with support from Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), along with technical inputs from other sources specialising in medicinal plants.
More than 100 common and rare medicinal plants, including aloe vera, mint, lemongrass, cloves, harsingar, saptaparni, ajwain, ashwagandha, asparagus, titaraj, camphor, shankhpushpi, sugar cure, tulsi, brahmi and patharchur, will be planted. These species are expected to aid research into treatments for various diseases.Dr Abilesh Kumar, principal of JLNMCH, said the garden is being developed in accordance with the guidelines of the National Medical Commission (NMC) and regulated by the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), ministry of Ayush, with the objective of conservation, development and sustainable management of medicinal plants. He said the initiative would educate students about medicinal and aromatic plants for primary healthcare, preserve traditional knowledge and promote sustainable cultivation.He added that the department of pharmacology at JLNMCH will be responsible for maintaining the garden. Sources said the facility will support academic and research needs, including studies on plant-derived medicines for ailments such as blood pressure, heart disease and cancer.
