The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : Create awareness on Indian systems of medicine, says Minister

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Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Create awareness on Indian systems of medicine, says Minister

Staff Reporter

‘Ayurveda combined physical and mental well-being along with spiritual development’

Photo: K. Ananthan

FOR BETTER HEALTH: Minister for Rural Industries and Animal Husbandry Pongalur N. Palanisamy (third right) releases the souvenir at the International Grand Centennial Convention on Ayurveda at CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex in Coimbatore on Thursday. Advisor of IGCC and Chief of Academic in Manipal Academy Bhushan Patwardhan (right) receives the first copy. —

COIMBATORE: There is a need to create awareness about traditional medicine such as Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Naturopathy, Minister for Rural Industries Pongalur N. Palanisamy said here on Thursday.

Presiding over the inaugural of the International Centennial Convention on Ayurveda, organised by the Arya Vaidyan Rama Varier Educational Foundation of Ayurveda, he said Ayurveda had survived the test of time. Even when Allopathy was seen as the most effective form of treatment, Ayurveda continued to exist. Conventions such as these would help create awareness about Indian systems of treatment.

G.A. Rajkumar, Special Commissioner, Department of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy, Government of Tamil Nadu, said traditional Indian medicines were non-toxic and less expensive. Having existed for over 5,000 years in the country, Ayurveda had been more of a way of life in India. Same was the case with other traditional medicines too.

The Central Government was trying to mainstream these alternative systems of medicine through a ‘cafeteria approach’. The idea was to have clinics which would offer all the systems of medicine. About Rs. 4,000 crore was allocated for the project, he said. Though Allopathy was the most accepted way of treatment now in the country, it had not been able to offer a cure for chikungunya. Traditional Indian systems of medicines were extremely popular in countries such as the U.S., the U.K., Russia, Germany, Hungary and Italy. “Allopathic medicine is the alternative medicine in India,” G. Bakthavathsalam, Chairman of K.G. Hospital, said. It was most suited for emergency and trauma care. Ayurveda combined physical and mental well-being along with spiritual development. It was focussed on rejuvenating the body, mind and the spirit, he said.

While hospitals in the U.S. had specialised departments on anti-ageing, India had its own cure for ageing in Ayurveda, Dr. Bakthavathsalam said.

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