Traditional medicine is an area where a large number of manuscripts are still in private hands. Considering that medicine is perhaps the most widespread branch of traditional science, one can conjecture that the order of magnitude of manuscripts in medicine would perhaps run into at least 50,000.

There is a need to develop a nationally-coordinated programme to assist colleges of traditional medicine and other competent institutions in surveying, collecting and computerizing medical manuscripts from different regions in the country and abroad. Copies of digitised manuscripts will be placed in a centrally-located institution and in regional repositories (nodes), which can be used by medical researchers. The central and regional nodes will index, prepare bibliographies, collage and publish these manuscripts and also support research programmes that have contemporary relevance.

It is also important to start a training programme in manuscriptology and to offer long-term fellowships to committed manuscripts scholars. FRLHT has at this stage prepared a white paper on conservation of medical manuscripts. We are trying to raise an endowment to implement a program in this regard.