In an effort aimed at taking Ayurveda to the world by helping it get recognition as a full-fledged medical system, promoting research, clinical practise and teaching, institutions in Switzerland and India have set up the Indo-Swiss Ayurveda Foundation (ISA).
According to Simone Hunziker, founding president, ISA, the recognition of Ayurveda as a discipline within the new professions of “complementary therapist” and “medical practitioner” in Switzerland provided the ideal opportunity to make it gain the status of a medical system.
Dr. Hunziker was addressing journalists at a press meet at the Arya Vaidya Pharmacy here on Monday.
Research
With that aim, ISA would promote research, document studies, facilitate dialogues among the International Ayurvedic Community, establish a network, work with law makers, publish major, modern reference books, enable dialogue between Indian Government and the International Ayurveda representatives and do much more.
She hastened to add that a few of the aforementioned initiatives were in progress.
The ISA would have two Indian Ayurveda establishments as partners in this endeavour, she said and identified the Ayurveda College and Hospital in Nadiad, Gujarat, and the Arya Vaidya Pharmacy as the two institutions.
Switzerland was the ideal place to start the ISA because it had passed the enabling legislation that recognised Ayurveda doctors as “complementary therapist” and “medical practitioner”. The ISA would work with law makers, allopathic doctors and others there to ensure that the Swiss Government soon recognised Ayurveda as an alternative medical system.
Once that was done, it would be easy for ISA to work with other governments in the European Union, the United States and West Asia.
Dr. Hunziker said that former Indian Ambassador to Switzerland Swashpawan Singh was the vice president of ISA, and Anne Keiser the Administrative Director. The advisory board comprised P.R. Krishnakumar, Managing Director, Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Anita Das, a former Secretary, Department of AYUSH, Philippe Welti, a former Swiss Ambassador to India, Shive Nzarain Gupta, Medical Superintendent, P.D. Patel Ayurveda Hospital, Nadiad, and U. Indulal, Deputy Director, Arya Vaidya Pharmacy.
Mr. Krishnakumar said that the ISA’s efforts would help Ayurveda institutions develop protocols that were necessary for international recognition and train Ayurveda practitioners.
Mr. Swashpawan Singh said that Ayurveda was a soft power that India could leverage while interacting with other nations. Plus, it was a gift that India had to offer to the world.
Objective
One of the objectives of ISA would help people understand that the promotion of the Indian system of medicine was not to project it as a competitor but complementing factor to other systems of medicine.
