‘Cancer patients can’t be guinea pigs for ayurveda’

BENGALURU: Set up nearly two years ago, the ayurveda unit at the government-run Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology may shut down. Reason: the institute director says the facility hasn’t conducted any ground-breaking research and the memorandum of understanding (MoU) ends in March 2019.
“With due respect to ayurveda and the rich resources available in our country, no ayurvedic treatment has proven to be effective for cancer.Not even level-1 research has been done so far. Poor patients who visit Kidwai seeking treatment can’t be used as guinea pigs. The unit’s term ends in March and I have asked them to vacate,” said Dr C Ramachandra, director of the cancer institute.
The MoU was signed between the medical education department and Ayush (ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy) department in March 2017.
The clinic set up in Kidwai’s palliative care section is full of ayurvedic drugs neatly stacked in racks. During a recent visit by TOI, a yoga session was being conducted by an ayurveda expert for some patients. “Departments like radiology and palliative care refer cases to us and we treat patients with a holistic approach. Over 80 patients have opted for treatment. The MoU is not time-bound and can be reviewed,” said an ayurveda practitioner from the unit.
While it’s up to the patient to seek ayurvedic intervention, the institute has raised questions about the research. “We have no problem with meditation or yoga classes. But when it comes to ayurvedic medicine, there’s no proof of its effectiveness. We’ve had cancer patients who were treated in Kidwai opting for alternative treatment elsewhere and coming back to us with adverse effects of the drugs. We want to know what’s the active ingredient in ayurvedic medicine? For instance, Stage 1 cancer is treatable. Has there been any research in ayurveda where Stage 1 cases have been treated with ayurvedic drugs alone,” asked Dr Ramachandra.
The state health department recently issued a circular to all taluk and district-levels hospitals to use Ayush medicines while treating non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Dr Ratan Kelkar, mission director, National Health Mission, said it could be case of miscommunication. “It was noticed earlier that the staffers deputed at the ayurveda unit were not paid properly and the issue must have been resolved by now. But regarding ayurvedic treatment of cancer patients, a framework and guidelines need to be prepared by a committee comprising both oncologists and ayurveda specialists. That’s what we have done to treat non-communicable diseases in government hospitals,” he said.