AYURVEDA-
FOR HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT
A
one-day seminar on ‘Ayurveda-For Health and Development of Kerala,’ was
organised the Ayurveda Medical Association of India at Mascot Hotel on Saturday23rd,June,2012.The
conclave was arranged as the government of Kerala has included Ayurveda in its
‘Vision 2030’ as one of the focus areas to ensure overall development of the
State. Earlier this year, Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public
Information, Infrastructure, and Innovations, suggested ten focus areas, and
the third one in his list was Ayurveda. Mr. Pitroda pointed out that Ayurveda
held great potential for the State in terms of health care and tourism, capable
of promoting economic growth.V.N. Rajashekhara Pillai, Executive vice-president
of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology, and Environment, was the
chief guest. He spoke of the need to find a fine balance between traditional
and modern medicinal methods. Study devoted to medicinal herbs and its
properties were inadequate, he said, adding that the support of information
technology and mass media devices was necessary in order to facilitate the
growth of the Ayurveda.“The recommendations made by Sam Pitroda as part of his
Kerala initiative needs to be looked at to formulate strategic plans to try and
make Kerala a global destination for Ayurveda,” said Darshan Shankar, chairman
of the Institute of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine- Bangalore. He was the
key speaker of the seminar and his presentation detailed strategic areas of
growth and also briefed the background of the Sam Pitroda Mission with respect
to Ayurveda.
The
first inadequacy noted was “well-designed web-based software,” said Dr.
Shankar. Promoting collaboration with IT professionals and institutions would
result in effective documentation of clinical evidence and outcomes and also easy
accessibility.The need for “integrated centres of clinical excellence,”
allowing a neat blend of Ayurvedic treatment and diagnosis along with modern
tools and physicians, was also brought up by Dr. Shankar.Going global with such
an initiative was possible as even those abroad had trust on Ayurvedic products
from Kerala. But their quality had been dropping, Dr. Shankar said, calling for
setting standards that were universally acceptable and technology that would
ensure purer products. He said the turnover of the Ayurveda industry from the
whole State was Rs.15,000 crore per annum, a figure he equated with that of a
“medium-sized modern pharmaceutical factory,” indicating there was much scope
for development.
Dr.
Shankar detailed the practise of using boiled water, adding ‘Tulsi’ and other
herbs to it and storing it in copper pots was one that was unique to Kerala and
this “unconscious setting of clean drinking water standards” had to be built
upon. In addition, mass education programmes were a must to educate the public
on simple techniques that would improve health. The public should also be
encouraged to suggest steps for “preventive or promotive health” that were
“affordable and implementable.”Dr. Shankar said introducing an insurance cover
for Ayurveda was bound to reap benefits for the industry in the State.Adding to
his presentation was John Samuel of the United Nations Development Programme,
who pointed out that the growth of this industry would create over 1,00,000
jobs in the State. He stressed that “adaptation of Ayurveda to the post-modern
world” was necessary and “the belief that a dichotomy between Ayurvedic and
allopathic treatments exists should be abandoned.”
Prof.
John Kurakar
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