Sunday, November 16, 2014

lost glory of Ayurveda

Research will reclaim lost glory of Ayurveda, say experts
Shahla Siddiqui, TNN | Nov 15, 2014, 10.12PM IST
Times of India

DEHRADUN: Research and standardization in Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) will help reclaim the lost glory of Ayurveda, experts said on Saturday. The focus of central and state AYUSH departments should be on research.

Identifying and preserving medicinal plants in the state can give Uttarakhand the edge in medicine, they added. Experts say Uttarakhand is home to 30% of India's bio-diversity, the benefits of which have not tapped into by the state. No proper identification or classification has been done.

"We are losing many of our ancient herbs every year. This is only because we haven't taken proper steps towards their restoration. Identifying all these herbs will help us in their preservation and research work," said Maya Ram Uniyal, a prominent writer and researcher in the field of Ayurveda.


Uniyal also stressed on the need for uniform treatment across the country. "The medication should be same, irrespective of the place. An ayurvedic practitioner in Kerala should prescribe the same medicine as one in Uttarakhand for a particular disease," he said.

"Instead on focusing on opening more health centers and posting doctors in the hills, the department should encourage research work. Inferential studies need to have scientific rigor. If the Centre cannot fund the research programs, the state should take it up as a responsibility," said Om Prakash, principal secretary AYUSH, Uttarakhand. Experts also demanded flexibility in research and clinical work at the one day awareness camp organized by the state AYUSH department in Dehradun.

Proponents of Ayurveda claim that it has none of the side effects of allopathic medicine. Other states have pumped in resources into Ayurveda research. In Hyderabad, the state unani department has funded research to find a cure for cancer.

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