The hardships of a career in Ayurvedic practice

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Despite the publicity campaigns to promote Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH), there is a trust-deficit in these systems.

AYUSH systems are based on definite medical philosophies and represent a way of healthy living with established concepts on prevention of diseases and promotion of health.
In 1995, with the objective of optimal and focused development of these systems, the Department of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy was created in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
In 2003, this Department was re named as Department of AYUSH.
India has a rich heritage of medical wisdom derived from the Vedas that prevailed as Ayurveda.
AYUSH is the principal medical practice of the country for centuries, forming part of Indian ethos and culture.

Credibility of Ayurvedic theories – There is widespread scepticism in the public mind about the soundness of Ayurvedic theories and the fruitfulness of its practices.
Archaic theories that are apt to arouse suspicion in the minds of educated patients are peddled as sophisticated dogmas.
Not in line with today’s science – The Ayurveda establishment has failed to keep pace with the intellectual and scientific advances of the times.
Lack of scrutiny – Treatments are made to escape straightforward experimental scrutiny because of their supposed rootedness in such theories.
Lack of evidence – A major reason for the trust-deficit in Ayurveda is its diminished evidence-based quality.
Slow treatment – That Ayurveda treatments are slow to heal is another common view that characterises the public image of Ayurveda.

Contemporary to modern science – Ayurveda has grown and adapted like any other medicine or school of medicine in the world.
National Ayush Mission (NAM) – It is a flagship scheme of Ministry of AYUSH.
The basic objective of NAM is to promote AYUSH medical systems through cost effective AYUSH services.
It envisages flexibility of implementation of the programmes which will lead to substantial participation of the State Governments/UT.

No practical lessons – The practitioner would discover that what has been taught to them in college training is a huge corpus of ancient medical wisdom, where only a part is practically usable.
Lack of ecosystem – Ayurveda does not have a vibrant ecosystem of science and research, the poor practitioner has to depend on himself to discover treatments and approaches that actually work.
Affects reputation – The process involves a lot of trial and error with patients and predictably leads to erosion of the practitioner’s reputation.
Gimmicks – Few practitioners who are using regular newspaper columns, television shows, and social media sites, entrap gullible patients.

China – In the 1970s, it pushed traditional medicine, through its economic and political agenda to get total quality Chinese medicine outside China, which eventually was accepted by the world.
India – India has a brand ambassador in yoga and wellness as our Prime Minister, and wellness is being accepted across the world.

The e-health market size is estimated to reach US$ 10.6 billion by 2025.

Wellness – We should focus on pushing wellness on a larger horizon and approach it from the point where it complements whatever is going on in allopathic hospitals.
Post-surgery recovery – Ayurveda can be used to complement what hospitals do, especially after surgeries when they have to recover.

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Policy making – Appropriate policy-making can solve a lot of these problems faced by the Ayurveda practitioners.
Focus on primary care – Primary-care doctors are becoming an endangered species in India’s health-care system.
Rejuvenating primary care is a sine qua non if a country is to secure the health of its citizens.
Training – Ayurveda graduates can contribute enormously towards this rejuvenation if trained properly.
Promotion of Ayurvedic theories – A vigorous evidence-based appraisal of Ayurvedic theories and practices in order to sift the usable from the obsolete will help the cause.
Modern medicine – Ayurveda graduates must be allowed to practise modern medicine in stipulated primary care areas.
These reforms would help create a workforce that can function effectively to meet the primary health-care needs of both urban and rural India.