The article by Dr Amritpal Sing under the title “Is Ayurveda loosing way to Modern Medicine” dated January 16, 2019 was quite painful to read. Our traditional healing practice is rapidly losing its relevance mostly due to the vaidyas who have studied the subject and settled in private practice.
The article clearly opens the viscera of AYUSH to explain the anatomy of the modern day vaidya and their behaviour. It is an open truth that, cross pathy by several AYUSH vaidyas in private practice has only destroyed the credibility of AYUSH and has earned the title to AYUSH called pseudoscience. The article of Dr Amritpal Singh has revealed another important dimension of AYUSH education. The BAMS students in most institutions show least interest to attend the classes of Ayurveda curriculum but on the contrary, show great interest to attend the classes in modern medicine. Most of them wants to end up as modern medicine practitioners instead of own subject. Cross pathy only attracts them and not AYUSH in real sense, the article reveals.
If we see the situation of Siddha system of healing practice in Tamil Nadu, cross pathy by several Siddha vaidyas in private practice openly and or secretly has destroyed the credibility of the system. The most disgusting fact is that some Siddha vaidya even justify cross pathy and have used every trick in the book to support quackery. However the state government has initiated proper steps to crackdown quackery and as a result cross pathy has significantly reduced in the state. However the nexus between chemists and some vaidya may still continue secretly in some remote villages as a new form of cross pathy.
The options to revive AYUSH does not lies just in allocating more funds for promoting AYUSH as initiated by Ministry of AYUSH, but the curriculum of AYUSH must be changed totally.
Basic science must be included in AYUSH curriculum and not modern medicine. The inclusion of modern medicine only unnecessarily tempts the vaidyas to move towards cross pathy and quackery. As a result of the above situation, both AYUSH as well as our health care delivery system suffers adversely. Most of the vaidyas who are engaged in cross pathy tends to display their knowledge in modern medicine predominantly hired from some peripheral learning from CIMS etc.
Modern medicine; the methods of diagnosis, details of drugs, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology etc., must be removed from the curriculum of AYUSH and the philosophical aspects of ancient traditional healing must be enriched. How the quality of the herbs must be evaluated, what are the modern technologies that can be used for preparing AYUSH recipes, what are the new ways of presenting the AYUSH products etc., must be included in the curriculum of AYUSH.
The importance of human faith, spirituality, human values, vaidya-patient relationship, knowing the human constitution through philosophy based Tridosha principle, how the taste and other obvious feelings of the patient can be integrated into the healing process etc., must be included and emphasised in the curriculum of AYUSH.
The AYUSH vaidyas must be oriented more with the philosophy, bio-moral science and human values so that the role of AYUSH for paramedical and mind healing can be fully achieved. The humanity of today need mind healing and eternal paramedical recipes which AYUSH alone can offer.
AYUSH vaidyas must be designated more as healers and experts of mind, wellness and paramedical services than as doctor. Once the philosophical contents are enriched and the details of allopathic medicines are removed and basic science is included, AYUSH will get due merit and recognition. Cross pathy by AYUSH vaidyas in private practice must be ended immediately.
Siddha system can be revived only if the cross pathy by several Siddha vaidyas in private practice is curbed. Hope our traditional, faith based healing practice will get due recognition and respect and the Ministry of AYUSH will separate AYUSH completely from allopathic system.
