A three day workshop on Epidemiology and Research Methodology in Public Health for Ayush Doctors was organized here today jointly by Arogya Bharti, Himachal Pradesh, Department of Ayurved and Centre of Excellence: Ayush in Public Health, Pune (Maharashtra Association of Anthropological Sciences) under the aegis of Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India with the technical support of National Institute of Epidemiology (Communicable Diseases) Chennai.
Inaugurating the workshop, Dr Rajeev Bindal, Health Minister said that every Ayurvedic Health Centre should be developed as Preventive Health Centre and urged the Ayurved doctors to generate awareness among the people about ayurvedic treatment, which he said focused upon preventive health care. He said that non communicable diseases were a cause of concern and asked the doctors to conduct research for finding preventive medicine to cure the diseases in ayurvedic system of medicine. He stressed on focusing upon preventive and curative aspects of medicine.
Dr Bindal said that State Government was making concerted efforts to promote Ayurved and was focusing upon providing health care facilities to common people at their door steps. He said that Special Programmes has been launched for the welfare of mother, child and Senior Citizens. He further said that Himachal Pradesh was the first State in the Country to start special Geriatric OPD on every Tuesday for Senior Citizens in all the Ayurvedic Hospitals and Health Centres of the State and added that Regional Centre for Excellence for Geriatric Health Care had been established at Paprola by providing 20 bedded Special Geriatric Panchkarm Ayurvedic Hospital. Special Geriatric Free Medical Camps in rural and remote areas of the State were being organized by this Centre and Rs. 500 lac were being spent for development of the Centre, he added.
Dr. Bindal said that Rs. 500 lac were being spent on Centre of Excellence in Dravyagun and Medicinal Plants at Jogindernagar where special Research, Development and Training in conservation, propagation, cultivation and processing of medicinal plants would be conducted. 80 training programmes for more than 2500 farmers and doctors have been conducted by the Centre during last year, he added.
He said that in order to promote the Ayurvedic Super Specialty of Panchkarm in Himachal Pradesh, the number of Specialized Panchkarm Therapy Centres have been extended to 17 which was available at only 6 centres till the year 2007-08. He said that people were being provided ayurvedic treatment through 1159 Ayurvedic Institutions and most of them were in rural remote and far flung areas of the State. 51,74,091 patients were treated in the Ayurvedic Institutions which include 1,33,476 indoor patients during last financial year, he added.
The Minister urged Arogya Bharti to take further initiative and programme to popularize the concepts of Ritucharya & Dincharya advocated by Ancient Ayurvedic Masters since time immemorial. Dr R.K. Mutatkar, Renowned Anthropologist also spoke on the occasion. Dr Rakesh Pandit, OSD Ayurved department welcomed the Health Minister. Rameshwar Sharma, Additional Director, Ayurved proposed vote of thanks. As many as 55 Ayurvedic doctors from the State are participating in this workshop.
