From Spiritual to Medicinal to Medical….Amazing Journey of AYUSH

We were ruled by British over 300 years. In fact we have learned the language English only from our imperial rulers. The reason behind our poor understanding of the true meaning of the following terms ‘medical’ and ‘medicinal’ in fact speaks volumes and volumes about our patriotic fervor than our true love for learning the language English from our British rulers.

What is deserved to be technically and legally called as ‘medicinal’ has been declared, baptized, sanctified and legalized as ‘medical’. As a result, today we are promoting AYUSH as medical science. This is the finest example that shows how over patriotism has bulldozed both language and science in our country.

According to several English dictionaries (may be all), the term ‘medical’ is different and distinct from the term ‘medicinal’. The term medical connotes the direct relationship with drug, treatment or diagnosis, whereas the term medicinal refers to the substances that may likely to have some health value, mostly indirectly. When we refer certain subjects as medical microbiology, medical physics, we refer chemistry or botany only as medicinal chemistry and medicinal botany.

Most plants may have some medicinal values for different life forms on earth. Sometime when we use such medicinal plants during onset of some small health problems, such herbal preparations may give remedy. Most of us take coffee or tea as soon as we get up from bed in the morning for refreshment. Both the tea and coffee are essentially nothing but herbal preparations only. Similarly chewing ginger or betel leaves after heavy meal will certainly offer some relief. For dry cough, eating small quantity of pepper may offer some help. The point is that all such benefits should not be extrapolated beyond human imagination or glorify or coronate betel leaves, pepper or ginger etc., as drugs and these herbal preparations can be used for treating diseases.

Exploiting and using the medicinal benefits of plants is not a bad idea. But qualifying the herbs as ‘drugs’ because of the above property no country with scientific temperament and value for humanity must adventure.

The herbal medicines can be tried out when the health problem is minor and requires only some paramedical care than use of real drugs. When there is indigestion due to over eating, consuming betel leaves or ginger is sufficient. Similarly, when one suffers from fatigue or other related small discomforts, people can use AYUSH products and therapy because medicinal products are sufficient to treat such minor problems and does not require true drugs (medicines).

When we so passionately argue and debate about how our ancient generation has relied solely on AYUSH products, we prove nothing but our mere ignorance. Our ancient generation did not have any scientifically proven drugs and allopathic system. In the absence of scientifically proven allopathic system in the great past, how can we say people in the great past have greatly benefited from AYUSH and AYUSH vaidyas? If the above statement were true, then why most of the modern day institutionally qualified AYUSH vaidyas in private practice have migrated to cross pathy?

We have not set clear boundary for AYUSH and AYUSH vaidyas especially in private practice. We have not yet evolved any clear guidelines at national level for AYUSH on what are the health problems AYUSH vaidyas can attend by respecting the pure paramedical merit of AYUSH.

Primary Health Centres to Multi Specialty Hospitals, only the nurses dispense injections and drugs to the patients mostly in in-patient wards. Similarly in critical care units, the nurses only administer tablets etc., to the patients. But they do so strictly under the instructions of the qualified allopathic doctor. Since the nurses who administer drugs to the patient will never qualify the nurses to play the role of doctor nor do they assume such role as well. Nursing profession is a noble service and indeed most of the nurses are really discharging their duties exactly like Florence Nightingale.

Similarly we must set the role definition and boundary for AYUSH and AYUSH vaidyas especially for those who are engaged in private practice. The boundary of AYUSH must be in the matrix of offering paramedical care and wellness recipe to the patients. To treat or diagnose the disease, the rights should be left to scientifically proven allopathic system. Otherwise we will be making mockery of our health care system. Several ordinarily grown herbs are when powdered and mixed in equal proportion the final mixture (combination) becomes drug and the best example being the famous Nilavembu kudineer of Siddha system. To regulate such products, we have drug licensing authority, district level medical officers who are also drug inspectors etc. Why we waste the tax payer’s money from public exchequer?

Only when we reposition AYUSH to offer paramedical care purely due to the absolute truth that AYUSH is not drug and cure based medical system, the system and our society will benefit from AYUSH.

Time has come we must differentiate medicinal from medical. Producing graduates from AYUSH as doctor just to breach laws and engage in cross pathy is harmful to our health care system. It is non-drug based medication and unscientific diagnosis and its correlation that ails our health care system and not lack of drugs and qualified doctors. Hope the policy makers will recognize the above scientific truth and promote AYUSH for paramedical benefits and would end cross pathy.

Dr S Ranganathan