Incorporating ayurveda into medical schools.

[Guest guest]

Dearest Durgeshji,

 

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I would like to offer some info on your comments, which will perhaps satisfy

you.

 

> A few years ago, when Shrimati Sushma Swaraj and Shri Sinha ( Union Health

Minister) addresed the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, in

New Delhi, we had told them to start to incorporate Ayurvedic studies along with

Medical School studies, in India. The course would have been much longer, but

the basic health of the people would have been scientifically and properly been

taken care of. I believe that to maintain daily health, Ayurveda is very

important along with Yogic asanas, Pranayama and exercise. When that fails, and

acute care is needed, Modern Medicines would "kick in" for the short duration,

and give one sufficient time to get back into the Ayurvedic daily routine. Here,

by Ayurveda, Homeopathy may also be included.

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Namaste. This process has already been proposed but is already under fire. Both

the schools are in no mood to accept this arrangement. There are people who are

instead baying for the head of the Health Minister. The medicine lobby is also

very strongly opposed to this.

 

 

The day before yesterday there was some kind of discussion at a very high level

on rural health with the Prime Minister putting in his views. The proposal of a

State to reintroduce the three year LMP (Licensed Medical Practitioner) course

was perhaps discussed. Maybe these doctors would stick to their rural postings.

But this has started another debate with the six year course doctors obviously

irritated over it.

 

Then there was the proposal to hand over primary health care to the ayurveds and

the homeopaths with the critical cases being referred to modern doctors. This

too doesn't seem plausible any longer.

 

The main problem is that the whole medicare system has become a very lucrative

industry. The concepts of love, compassion, care, honesty have been sidestepped.

Earlier the General Practitioners were doing a pretty good job. Being often

family doctors they were aware of individual idiosyncracies and prescribed

accordingly. They were hugely successful too.

 

A very leading doctor has suggested in a blog that the modern doctors should

again cultivate that proximity with their patients. The doctor patient

relationship is very crucial for both, he argues.

 

Though I am vociferous against many practices of modern medicine I fully realise

that even today a sizeable number of medical personnel are genuinely and

extremely concerned about their patients. Among the rest many have been gripped

by the fever of consumerism, pressurised maybe by their families and the rising

costs of living. Many have been poisoned by the pharmaceutical industry. I

really do not believe a person studies hard to become a doctor with an intention

to harm the patients. This is an absurd idea. The problems lie elsewhere.

 

Delving too much into the inner workings of the body often takes ones attention

away from the broader concepts. The body is merely the visible portion of a

human being. Physical symptoms are often the last stages of any dis-ease. The

key lies in catching the dis-ease in its earliest stage, when it affects the

vital. Only a deep knowledge of symptomalogy will enable a physician to do this.

Sometime back there was a survey that revealed that mainstream doctors found

only 34% of the symptoms declared by their patients useful. The rest they

ascribed to fanciful bickerings. The problem lies here. If you are not able to

decipher most of what the patient is trying to say then how can you cure him?

 

I sometimes lend homeopathic materia medicas and introductory books on ayurveda

to few mainstream doctors I know personally. They are appreciative about the

ayurvedic concepts but they simply turn away from the vast symptomalogy of the

homeopaths. I however feel they would benefit from both. Disease as percieved by

them and the disease that the patient suffers are today two totally different

worlds. Should not the doctor peep into the world of their patients? There are

very few hypochondriacs, most of the patients describe real suffering which

their doctors cannot comprehend.

 

Now that you have studied and accepted ayurveda and accupressure, and also have

a fair idea of homeopathy I would sincerely request you to kindly reflect on

what I am trying to say and try to study disease from other angles too. You are

very well grounded in the anatomical approach, there is really no need for you

to study further in this field. But you can, with an open mind, study the basic

philosophy of both ancient ayurveda and homeopathy. With your spiritual

background this task will not be difficult. Do not reject the concepts as you

study them but please try to reflect on them and compare them to the states of

the patients who flock to you for treatment.

 

I am like your younger brother, I will never try to mislead you. Nor am I asking

you to drop your current view altogether. I am inviting you to another world

that also exists. After discovering its existence you may accept it or reject

it, it is entirely up to you. But in the end you will find that it will make you

an even better physician. It never harms if you acquire new knowledge.

 

Please do not mistake me. As I have said, treat it like a sincere suggestion

from an younger brother.

 

Respect & Regards,

Jagannath.