'Popularise alternative medicine'

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JAN. 21. XH>The traditional systems of medicine were superior to Western medicine as they were perfected even before civilisation dawned in the West, said the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. A.B.Maalakaraddy (in picture).

Inaugurating the "Agasthiyar Jayanti" organised by the Akhila Karnataka Siddha Medical Practitioners' Association and the seventh conference of the association here, Dr. Maalakaraddy said the fact that so many people lived in India and China testified to the power of these systems of medicine, he said.

He stressed the need for popularising alternative systems of medicine such as Ayurveda and Siddha. There were many expert practitioners of Ayurveda and Siddha, but they were reluctant to pass on their knowledge to others. Experts should share their knowledge with others for the benefit of the common man, he said.

Replying to the appeal made by the association that Siddha practitioners in the State be registered and given licence by the Government, the minister said the registration issue came under the purview of the Union Government, and the appeal would be considered after obtaining the consent of the Centre.

Mr. Roshan Baig, Minister for Tourism, said lamented the commercialisation of health care, and said there was need to check this.

Alternative medicine faced a threat from multinational companies which were giving adverse publicity to traditional methods by saying that they were a failure, Mr. Baig said. He asked the Siddha and Ayurveda practitioners to jointly counter the disinformation.

Mr. Maalakaraddy released a book entitled "Vatharogakke Siddha Vaidya Chikitse" on the occasion. Mr. L.N.Murthy, KPCC(I) member, and Dr. B.Guruswamy, Director, Indian System of Medicine and Homoeopathy, were present.

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Section  : Southern States
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