During the Fifth National Economic and Social Development Plan (1982-1986), the Ministry of Public Health initiated a pilot project on the promotion of the use of medicinal plants under the sponsorship of UNICEF. The project, put into operation during 1984-1985, covered a total of 1,000 villages situated with in 25 provinces and primarily involved the selection of 66 medicinal plant species based on available data on their efficacy and safety so that they could be recommended for use in the primary helth care system within the designated areas. Other project activities included short training courses for rural health personnel as well as the production and distribution of promotional materials. With the cooperation of the Forestry Department, propagation and distribution programmes for selected medicinal plans were set into motion. Part of the funding went towards the setting up of a medicinal plant information centre as well as the mass production of a number of commonly used traditional plants, a number of research grants was offered for the studies on scientific, toxicological and clinical aspects of various medicinal plants.
Following the success of the UNICEF – sponsored project, another project on the use of medicinal plants in primary health care was initiated in 1985. Funded by the Federal Republic of Gernamy through the GTZ programme, this project concentrated on the formulation and clinical usage of five selected drug plants, namely Curcuma longa (turmeric), Andrographis paniculata. Cassia alata, Cilnacanthus nutans and Aloe vera. The projected area of operation was reduced to five community hospitals.
During the Sixth National Economic and Social Development Plan, further progress was made towards the development of Thai medicine and Thai medicinal ploants. As the result of the GTZ funded project, a new project called “The Development of Thai Medicinal Plants into Drugs” was introduced into the National Plan. In 1987, there was an amendment to the Royal Decree governing the practice of the medical professions to accommodate the newly trained Ayurvedic doctors. In the revised version, traditional practitioners were divided into two categories, namely the general and the applied traditional practitioners.
In that same year, the Ministry of Public Health published a book called “Traditional Thai Medicine- The Art of Self-Reliance” which acted as a guideline for futher development. Two years later, a centre for the coordination of the development of traditional Thai medicine and herbal drug was established. Its task was to devise strategies and coordinate activities leading to the advancement of Thai medicine and herbal drugs.
The government’s endeavor to affect the advancement of Thai medicine and gerbil drugs continues incessantly as is evident in its Seventh National Development Plan (1992-1996) whereby traditional Thai medicine, herbal drugs as well as other forms of indigenous health-related technologies, such as traditional massage, were to be revived, promoted and integrated into the existing health service system.
The success of the government’s efforts in the revival and preservation of an invaluable national heritage in the form of traditional Thai medicine and herbal drugs for future generations will depend on the attitude and perception of the entire nation. It is not unreasonable to envisage public consensus in the use of herbal drugs for common ailments and as health foods. Herbal drugs should be made available to the general public both in traditional dosage forms, as pills, fluid extracts and alcoholic macerates, and in modern dosage forms, e.g. capsules, tablets and ointments. When being ill, a person should have the option of choosing between traditional and western forms of treatment. The revival and preservation of traditional Thai medicine necessitates the commitment and cooperation of all parties concerned, including knowledgeable traditional practitioners, interested individuals, scientists, and health as well as law enforcement agencies. Such endeavor will not only help to perpetuate an important part of our national inheritance but will also result in the improvement in the quality of life for whole nation.
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