President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday advocated the use of modern and traditional medicine to meet India’s challenges.
Contending that the country’s health challenges were also linked to the larger socio-economic challenges, Mr. Kovind sadi the solution should be broad-based and multi-pronged.
“We must use both modern and traditional medicine and focus on both the mind, and the body. Both prevention and cure must be involved,” he said at the foundation-laying ceremony for the global campus of JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSS AHER) at Varuna, near here on Friday.
He said the programmes on yoga and traditional Indian medicine to be offered at the campus will help enrich the domain of alternative therapies.
Similiarly, the programmes in psychology and mental health will strengthen the country’s fight against mental disorders and diseases, he said.
Despite the many health achievements of India over the years, Mr. Kovind said it still remained a key development challenge.
Mr. Kovind said India was challenged by the triple burden of communicable, non-communicable, and new and emerging diseases. “Malnutrition and neglected tropical diseases place severe constraints on us,” he said.
Mr. Kovind said citizens’ access to health services needs to be improved.
While the government remains committed to tackle this through its flagship Ayushman Bharat and other health programmes, the President said that he saw the Swachh Bharat campaign also closely linked to its health goals. “Cleanliness and sanitation are the basic requirements to tackle many of the country’s health related issues and diseases.”
The programmes to offered at the campus will focus on health and life sciences, which will also include health management, pharmacy, bio-medical sciences, psychology and human behaviour, yoga and Indian system of medicine.
“I am sure the professionals coming out of this campus will play an important role in fulfilling our vision of achieving health for all and holistic health in the country,” he said.
He also pointed out that there is a strong interest in yoga around the world while the Indian system of medicine was also gaining acceptance abroad.
“This may open opportunities for you beyond the shores of India,” Mr. Kovind said.
The campus is coming up on 101.36 acres, but construction is planned only on 29% of the area and the rest more than 70% will be left for green cover.
