Teaching Ayush in schools a welcome move: Experts

Vijayawada: Academicians and medical experts in Andhra Pradesh have responded in a positive manner to Centre's proposal to integrate Ayush in the school curriculum.

Talking to The Hans India, they said it was a welcome step since it would help children getting basic knowledge about traditional medical systems like Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Sidda and Homeopathy.

If they have proper understanding of what these systems are, then it would become easy for the children to select which medical system they can opt for when they complete their school education. For the past two decades, experts say that the Indian medical systems -- Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Unani, Sidda and Homeopathy -- have been grossly neglected and for a majority medical education means MBBS courses only.

The Covid pandemic has also helped a lot in the medical fraternity and the common man to understand the importance of alternative medicine and this should be converted into an opportunity to promote other systems of medicine as well, both allopathic doctors and experts from other systems said.

Former member of Central Council for Indian Medicine Professor T Bullaiah of Government Ayurveda College, Vijayawada said the Union government started the initiative to incorporate Ayush in the school education four years ago. It is good that they are now making a detailed study on how to incorporate Ayush in the school curriculum. He felt that depending only on allopathy is not good for the country. He said if the children have basic knowledge on Indian medical systems, they can choose it as their professions in the subsequent years. If one masters in any alternative system of medicine, it can also become a profitable career for him, he added.

Professor MC Das said knowledge in Ayurveda diagnoses is done following eight methods, namely Nadi (pulse), Mootra (urine), Mala (stool), Jihva (tongue), Shabda (speech), Sparsha (touch), Druk (vision) and Aakruti (appearance) and these systems are in practice for many centuries in the country. One need not undergo the knife for every small problem. In fact, that should be the last option.

Welcoming the proposal of the Centre, Professor Shaik Mahaboob, HOD, Maxillofacial surgeon, Siddhartha Medical College, said Ayurveda is being practised in India for several thousands of years. He said the country needs alternative medicine systems to combat pandemics like Covid. He felt Indian medical systems such as Ayurveda, Unani, Sidda, etc should be encouraged and promoted.

He said the Centre should also encourage more research on Indian medical systems and promote them so that the people can be cured and protected from the new variety of viruses and other diseases.