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Lack of trained doctors, therapists in punchakarma affects growth of medical tourism in Kerala
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Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai
November 18 , 2016
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Ayurveda treatment sector in Kerala is facing many bottlenecks in
developing Ayurveda medical tourism and the first and foremost one is
lack of trained doctors and therapists for doing the procedures of
punchakarma therapy.
A skilled and trained doctor, or a
therapist groomed for the purpose, is capable for doing all the
procedures for the punchakarma therapy, but Kerala, though popularly
known as the hub of Ayurveda system, is short of such experts, observed
eminent doctors and researchers in Ayurveda while participating in a
seminar on ‘Ayurveda Tourism’ organised by AMMOI in Thrissur.
Speaking
on the subject, Dr S G Ramesh Warrier, president of the Ayurvedic
Medicine Manufacturers of India, commented that India lacked
infrastructural facilities for all the treatments in ayurveda including
vasthi and vamanam narrated in the punchakarma. When compared with Sri
Lanka, which gets major revenue from medical tourism focussing Ayurveda,
India has to grow further. Sri Lankan government is taking immense
interest in promoting Ayurveda and a lot of tourists from European
countries is going to Sri Lanka for Ayurveda treatment.
While
presenting a paper on ‘Ayurveda in medical tourism’ Dr. Vignesh Devaraj,
managing director of Sitaram Beach Retreat, said due to lack of trained
doctors and therapists, the treatment centres in Kerala are not able to
handle emergency cases. He said hospitals with IP facilities should
engage one allopathy doctor to handle emergency cases or tie-up with
some allopathic hospitals to manage the situation. In north India, most
of the Ayurveda hospitals are having tie-up with modern healthcare
establishments, he said.
Dr. Krishnan Potty, chief physician at
Nagarjuna Ayurveda Hospital, Thodupuzha, while delivering a lecture,
said it is time for transformation for a quality healing in ayurvedic
treatment system in Kerala and it should be made comprehensive, holistic
and combine methods. Very good infrastructure facilities, medicinal
availability and manpower are available in plenty in Kerala and such
facilities should be properly utilized for the promotion of the system
through tourism development.
Dr. D. Ramanathan, secretary of
AMMOI, while welcoming the audience, said government while introducing
novel projects to attract tourists must also consider ways to educate
the patient tourists about the scope and efficacy of Ayurveda treatment
in Kerala. He wanted the department of tourism to produce skilled
manpower to train therapists for doing the procedures punchakarma
therapy.
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