Modi lauds legacy of traditional medicine

Jamnagar (Gujarat): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the establishment of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (WHO GCTM) here will usher in a new era of traditional medicine globally.

Modi, along with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth laid the foundation stone for the WHO GCTM.

Notably, the meeting between Dr Ghebreyesus and Modi came days after India objected to the WHO's methodology for estimating the number of COVID-19 deaths in the country. "When India is celebrating 75 years of its Independence right now, this ground-breaking ceremony for this centre marks the beginning of a new era of traditional medicine in the world during the next 25 years," Modi said on this occasion.

"Looking at the increasing popularity of holistic healthcare, I am confident that traditional medicine and this centre will become very important for each and every family of the world after 25 years, when India will be celebrating 100 years of independence," he added. He emphasized that though it is important to be "disease-free", the ultimate goal should be "wellness".

"During the pandemic, we realised the importance of wellness. That is the reason why the world is searching for new avenues of healthcare delivery," said Modi.