TIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Blame it on the mindset. Lest Ayurveda that basks in the 5,000 years of lineage should struggle for opportunities to get into the reputed bracket of medicine system. So, when Kerala came under the spell of the great deluge, ayurvedic pundits did not have a second thought of making the best of the post floods scenario to prove to the world what indeed the mettle of the Indian system of treatment is.
They are determined to document the efficacy of Ayurveda in treating post-flood diseases as the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) has directed the state government to initiate steps in this regard. In order to get a scientific back-up, the documentation will be carried out through the National AYUSH Morbidity Standardised Terminology Portal adhering to the World Health Organisation standards, and thereby gain international acceptance.
It was CCRAS director general K S Dhiman who urged the health secretary to initiate steps to document the data on post-disaster health service through Ayurveda in flood-affected areas.“The documentation is already on. It is being carried out at eight floods-hit districts. In this endeavour we were getting the support of private Ayurveda doctors, Indian system of medicine and others,” said Dr V C Deep, research officer, CCRAS.
According to him, while Cheruthuruthy-based National Ayurveda Research Institute for Panchakarma (NARIP) will analyse the data from Wayanad, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Malappuram, it will be Thiruvananthapuram-based Regional Ayurveda Research Institute for Life Style Related Disorders (RARILSD) which will compile the data from Alappuzha, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Idukki districts.
“So far we have received data from Wayanad and Malappuram. In the coming days, Thrissur and Ernakulam are expected to send their data. The data thus collected will be classified scientifically and handed over to the Ministry of AYUSH and WHO,” said Deep.
At the same time, Ayurveda Medical Association of India’s general secretary Dr Sadath Dinakar said the information was being collected from persons through a proforma prepared by Ayush Research Team under the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine, Kerala. “Select Ayurveda dispensaries in the public and private sectors have been provided with the proforma. The information that will be gathered include those on diseases, the status of mental health and others,” said Sadath, who suggested the idea of documentation to the central body.
As per the proforma, the patients will be asked if they have muscular dystrophy or hypertension or dyslipoproteinemia or hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism or anaemia or allergy or any other diseases. They will also be asked about the stream of medicine they have chosen for the cure of disease and others.
When inquired with ISM director Dr Anitha Jacob, she said data collection drive is for finding the efficacy of Ayurveda in treating post-flood infections and is being compiled by CCRAS.