Importance of creating right perception in politics and public life is well known. Others, always go by the perception that we create about us and would believe the perception to be real. Therefore everyone must display what is real about the self so that the perception created also reflects the real self than something different from the real. Ever since institutionalization of AYUSH education has started, unfortunately we failed to create right perception about AYUSH and thus we have destroyed the relevance and significance of AYUSH among people.
AYUSH belongs to our tradition, culture and civilization. AYUSH came as an extension of our sacred divine practices to offer health and wellness to people. Unlike the medical graduates of allopathic system who would always like to appear before patient mostly with stethoscope in order to make the patient feel that they are doctor, the AYUSH vaidya must create right feel among their patients that they belong a great tradition of healing practices that was followed several thousand years ago.
If a vaidya instinctively display his/her love for Nadi pariksha (pulse reading), engaged in understanding the patients purely from the perspective of traditional healing practice, mix spirituality, morality, ethics, self-discipline and home remedies, certainly we can revive AYUSH greatly.
The first point of contact for people to know about AYUSH is from vaidya. When vidyas shows unnecessary urge and prestige to prove they also know well about modern medicine and are as same as MBBS doctor, they actually derail own system, expertise and its relevance. Some institutionally qualified Siddha vaidya in Tamil Nadu have totally disfigured the sacred essence of Siddha system through rampant cross pathy.
Ministry of AYUSH must enforce the inclusion of certain perception creating elements in the clinics and other treatment facilities of Siddha and Ayurved vaidy so that when patients consult them would get the true sense of AYUSH and its rich tradition.
Imagine if a Siddha viadya pulverizes pepper or clove or tulsi using mortar and pestle in his or her clinic, prepare oil with herbs or prepare decoction with water through boiling in front of his or her patient, the method of preparation, the flavour and the direct visual impact of the above process would really re-kindle the traditional and cultural quotient in patient which is otherwise in a latent state.
Instead of using stethoscope and BP apparatus, AYUSH vaidya must follow traditional recipes, chanting of hymn, other methods to create a right perception about AYUSH. Vaidya must greet the patient with Tulsi water or pancha gavya or Trikadu or Tribala etc.
The antique value of AYUSH must be promoted aggressively than attempting to project and promote AYUSH as a competitor or best alternative to western medicine. Vaidya must thrust his or her diagnosis upon the overall health, wellness of the patient and the aberration in mind-body equilibrium of the patient than knowing the disease or other details like in western medicine.
Instead of knowing the disease, the vaidya must tries to understand how the socio-economic considerations of the patient worsen the disease, what kind of health and wellness improvement tips the vaidya must suggest to the patient to improve the ability of each patient to deal the disease etc. Customized approach towards understanding each patient and what to provide/suggest the vidya must auger.
But unfortunately the institutionalization of AYUSH education has really destroyed the system and its relevance because most of the institutionally qualified vaidyas in private practice are running after proving their expertise in western medicine and cross pathy than establishing the values of AYUSH.
Tamil Nadu is the best example where many Siddha vaidya in private practice are rampantly engaged in cross pathy and then justify corss pathy is right than proving how great and useful Siddha system is to the patient. When patients see such vaidya who are engaged in cross pathy, naturally would develop disbelief and aversion towards Siddha system because even the Siddha vaidy is after allopathic system and don’t have trust in Siddha system.
The dress code, how to set up the clinic, what pictorial details must be displayed in the clinic, importance of having a mortar and pestle, preparation of decoction, chorna etc., in front of the patient etc., must be mandated to AYUSH vaidya in private practice.
Further the use of modern gadgets like stethoscope, BP apparatus etc., the vaidya must be told to avoid and instead Naadi Paricha must be mandated. AYUSH must convert each and every AYUSH vaidya back to own system and only then the system can be promoted for the universal good.
Government of Tamil Nadu must ensure that Siddha vaidya are not engaged in cross pathy and cause medication health fraud and defame our sacred, traditional wisdom of healing. Creating right perception about AYUSH is extremely important and only the vaidya alone can create such right perception. AYUSH ministry must mandate viadya to promote own system than engaged in cross pathy which is illegal, quackery and punishable.
