The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO). GCTM will be the first and only global outpost centre for traditional medicine across the world. It will emerge as an international hub of global wellness. Video messages from the Prime Ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and the President of Maldives were played on the occasion. Union Ministers Dr Mansukh Mandavia, Sabananda Sonowal, Munjapara Mahendrabhai and Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendrabhai Patel were among those present.

"The centre will focus on data, innovation and sustainability and will optimise the use of traditional medicine, he added. The centre's five main areas will be research and leadership, evidence and learning, data and analytics, sustainability and equity and innovation and technology," said Dr Ghebreyesus.

The Prime Minister laid down five goals for the centre. First, to create a database of traditional knowledge systems using technology; second, GCTM can create international standards for testing and certification of traditional medicines so that confidence in these medicines improves. Third, GCTM should evolve as a platform where global experts of traditional medicines come together and share experiences. He also asked the centre to explore the possibility of an annual traditional medicine festival. Fourth, GCTM should mobilise funding for research in the field of traditional medicines. Finally, GCTM should develop protocols for the holistic treatment of specific diseases so that patients could benefit from both traditional and modern medicine.