February 7, 2002

    The Minister for Human Resources Development, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, has called upon the practitioners of Indian Systems of Medicine to improve and develop the system so that it could be integrated into the western system of medicine. Inaugurating the Swadeshi Aarogya Mela here today, Dr. Joshi said that organised health care system was first developed in India. Ayurveda took care not only of the body but also of the mind. He said that Panchakarma was being used for improving the condition of the mentally challenged in Russia. The ancient Indian systems had advocated breast feeding, better food habits which the Western system started advocating now, he added.

    In his presidential address, the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. C.P.Thakur said that there was need to provide scientific evidence to Indian systems of medicines so as to make them universally acceptable. He also emphasised the need for more research, and standardization and quality control of the medicines. The WHO estimated the demand for the alternative systems of medicine at $ 5 trillion by the year 2020. He said that India could easily achieve the target of Rs.10,000 crore in the world market.

    The six-day Aarogya Mela is being organised by the Centre for Bhartiya Marketing Development (CBMD) and the National Medicos Association. The Mela is supported by the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Chemicals and Fertilizers, Science and Technology, and Sports and Youth Affairs. The different systems of medical sciences that are on show in the Mela are Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Allopathy, Homoeopathy, Naturopathy, Reiki Acupressure and Acupuncture, Amchi etc. The different therapies participating in the Mela are Oil Therapy, Aroma Therapy, Speech and Audio Therapy. The speciality of the Mela is musical healing i.e. Music Therapy. The Mela has participants from almost all the States like Arya Viadyashala from Kerala to Amchi (Tibetan system of medicine) from Himachal Pradesh.

    Large number of Pharmaceutical manufactures have also put up their stalls at the Mela. Hospital services are being displayed by Apollo, Gangaram and Batra Hospitals along with the Hospital Consultancy Corporation of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Even the Jaipur foot manufacturers and surgical apparel manufactures have opened their stalls.