Kathmandu, Mar. 9: Nepal is well known all over the world for its high mountain peaks. It is also seen as a rich country for a large number of high-value herbs containing unique medicinal properties.
The herbs found from the high altitudes of the mountainous regions to the plains belt of the Terai possess diverse medicinal properties. If they are properly cultivated and channalised to the market, they will definitely make the country’s economy advanced and strong.
Herbs such as Yarchagumba, Guchchi Chau and Shilajit are the major herbs found at high altitudes. Yarchagumba which exists half of the year as an insect and the remaining half as shrubs is a unique product of Nepal. The government has imposed a ban on its sale. Despite the best efforts from the government side, illegal trade in it could not be brought under control totally.
A number of herbs have vanished from the forests due to the lack of research work and scientific preservation.
According to botanists, Nepal is endowed with some 246 species of herbal plants that flower and 200 species that do not flower. On one hand, they are useful for the treatment of various diseases while on the other, they provide an alternative income source to the local people.
It is estimated that some 1,500 varieties of herbs grow across the country. Of them, some 800 including Chiraito, Shilajit, Panch Aule, Harro, Barro, Amala, Tulsi, Neem, Jethimadhu, Padamchal and Pakhanbet are being used for the production of herbal drugs by Singha Darbar Baidyakhana. Other items such as sea-shells, coral and gold are also used for such drugs, managing director of the undertaking Chandra Raj Sapkota said.
According to him, the undertaking is currently producing some 110 varieties of herbal drugs through indigenous medicinal plants. It also imports some items from abroad such as sea-shells for the production of the drugs.
The herbal drugs produced by the undertaking are useful for patients of headache, chest pains, constipation, insomnia, fever, coughs, dysentery and diarrhoea, ulcer, sinusitis, arthritis, hypertension, uric acid problem and other ailments.
Diseases relating to infants, women and mentally deranged persons can be cured through such medicines.
Radha Baral, a resident of Sorhakhutte, says that she goes to an Ayurved treatment centre and prefer herbal medicine to allopathic ones as it has long term benefit.
I generally take herbal mixtures such as Chawanprash in substitution for health tonics, Sushila Rimal who came to buy drugs at the Baidhyakhana says.
Most consumers are of the opinion that the herbal drugs being produced by the undertaking are far better in quality in comparison with the products of foreign companies.
It is said that people have been attracted towards the herbal drugs as they have a negligible level of side effects.
Following the reconstruction of the undertaking under the Ayurved Health Policy introduced by HMG in 2052 B.S. It has made headway both in production and sale of drugs.
The undertaking which was once nearly on the verge of collapse in 2046 B.S. is able to contribute to the revenue of the country.
It has earned a profit of Rs. 3.8 million during last fiscal year with a turnover of around Rs. 12.5 million in production and sale.
It targets a profit of Rs. 6 million in the current fiscal year through the production and sale of drugs equivalent to Rs. 20 million.
The herbal drugs being sold rampantly on the streets and footpaths are of poor quality and unreliable while a huge quantity of drugs worth tens of millions is also pouring in without any tests and controls. In this context, the government has to take stern measures to clamp down on the free trading in sub standard herbal drugs.