Kerala to preserve, promote ayurveda

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Health Minister P Sankaran has said preservation of the ancient science of ayurveda and promotion of research and development in the traditional branch of medicine will be among the prime agendas of the state government.

Inaugurating the third annual national conference of Susrutha Association, the minister said the areas of immediate priority would be on infrastructure improvements, facilitation of education to candidates in the state as well as from abroad, and developing R&D facilities at ayurveda centres. Sankaran said the state has already initiated moves in this direction by establishing the Central Ayurveda University at Kottakkal, in north Kerala. "The university will be developed as a centre of excellence."

The government also proposes to establish a medicinal plant board, which will prepare an inventory on medicinal plants that are specific to a particular bio-reserve and take steps to ensure that the patent right to prepare medicines from such plants will remain with the state. The government will also streamline the staff pattern and implement a time-bound promotion at department and government levels, he said.

Noting that ayurveda is generating a great interest among tourists, Sankaran called for maintaining quality in treatment and rejuvenation regimens so that visiting tourists will become ambassadors of ayurveda to the whole world. "The state’s achievements on the health front were possible through the acceptance of all systems of medicine."

State Culture Minister G Karthikeyan said ayurveda was a scientific and highly advanced system of treatment in the ancient times. "Historians had recorded treatment regimens for diabetes, rheumatism and even some kinds of surgeries."

With the advances in science and technology, the minister said, several new drugs that were effective in curing many diseases are emerging, which were not available in either one or the other system of medicine. "The holistic approach to patient care would be useful in the long term."

Dr G C Prasad, an ayurveda physician, said: "Ayurveda surgeries are recording impressive success rates in the spheres of ENT, gynecology and obstetrics. But to maximise the benefits of these improvements to patients, the government should urgently fill up the vacant posts of anesthetists at ayurveda institutions."