Future of Ayurveda in Sri Lanka lies in promoting this medicine amongst affluent societies
Infrastructure provided for Ayurveda in Sri Lanka is considered excellent and matches international standards, an international expert has said. Considering the response and the enthusiasm of the Ayurveda doctors, the future of Ayurveda in Sri Lanka seems to be bright. In future, emphasis should be on creating the awareness about the principles of Ayurveda and maintaining harmony between internal and external nature , according to Dr. Sachin M. Sarpotdar from India.
Dr. Sarpotdar, Director Institute of Ayurveda, Panchakarma and Yoga and one of the keynote speakers at the Ayurveda Expo Symposium held at the BMICH in Colombo recently, made these comments to the Business Times on the sidelines of the symposium. The 3-day Ayurveda Expo 2016 was held on July 8 to 10.
As to whether people seek Ayurvedic or the western medicine for ailments, he said, “As far as the preference of the branch of the medicine is concerned, that choice depends on the status of the disease, the mental status of an individual, the available resources and the faith on the particular system of medicine. In the case of chronic disorders, people do choose Ayurveda.” Adding to that he mentioned that 70 per cent of the world population is now considering Ayurveda as the main treatment for diseases.
“The status of Ayurveda on the international scenario is encourag- ing and promising. In India, the acceptance for this holistic medicine is increasing as people understand the nature of psychosomatic disorders and the role of Ayurveda, a holistic medicine which can understand and treat the ‘cause’ and so offer a curative treatment because the involvement of the mind in the disease process is not ignored.”
Predicting the future of Ayurveda treatment in another 10 years, Dr. Sarpotdar noted, “This is the era for the traditional sys- tem of medicine that is Ayurveda. A majority of the diseases are psychosomatic and as a system of traditional holistic medicine, Ayurveda deals and treats mind and body at the same time and with the same importance.” This process in Ayurveda is definitely going to increase in the future, he noted.
Elaborating on who should consider Ayurveda treatment, he said the upper classes should be the main target as far as the promotion of Ayurveda is concerned. They are aware of the limitations of modern medicine and the symptomatic relief that it offers and can afford the curative holistic treatment of Ayurveda. At present, for the poor classes, preventive aspect of Ayurveda is not a choice as it demands strict do's and don’ts in behavioural and dietary plans. They are supposed to attend to their immediate problems and at the same time use this medication while rushing through a difficult day making sure that both ends meet, he stressed.