Doctors threaten agitation
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 23
The local unit of the Indian Medical Association(IMA) at its general body meeting here last evening, which was attended by more than 100 doctors, unanimously resolved to condemn the filing of a case against Dr Baldev Singh Aulakh and arrest of Dr Gagandeep Singh on flimsy grounds.

The visibly shaken medical faculty further resolved to start an agitation if the duo were not absolved of the charges at the earliest.

The general body was addressed by many senior doctors of Ludhiana, including former Vice-Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Dr L.S.Chawla. In his speech Dr Chawla emphasised the need of unity under the IMA banner.

“We are extremely disturbed by the act of the administration against a doctor for a surgery done seven years back,” he said.

He further said the IMA should be made stronger on the pattern of the American Medical Association (AMA) and British Medical Association ( BMA), where all laws pertaining to medical sciences were framed after consulting the association members.

He added that the Medical Council of India(MCI) might make the membership of the IMA mandatory before registration.

The IMA has floated a legal cell with Dr Dinesh Trehan as its chairman. He has been requested to hire the services of legal luminaries who can help doctors in their hour of need.

The association also decided to have a rotatory compulsory fund of Rs 1,000 per year from all members. It was also decided to have an annual event in the form of an academic conference.

Dr J.L.Joshi, acting Director of the CMC, who was the special guest of honour, spoke on the occasion.

The gathering was addressed by Dr Gursharan Singh, Dr Gurpreet Singh Wander, Dr Navdeep Khaira, Dr Nanda, Dr Satish Nauhria, Dr Nagpal, Dr Balwant Singh Hunjan, Dr Ajit Singh Chawla, Dr Shah, Dr Dinesh Trtehan, Dr Updesh Sidhu and Dr Sanjit Grewal.

Later, all members took an oath that they will not indulge in female foeticide.

Dr S.N.Tiwari, Civil Surgeon of Ludhiana, administrated oath to all doctors. Dr B.S.Sekhon presented vote of thanks.

Stress on revival of ayurveda
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 23
There falls an important festival known as Dhana Tryodashi today (two days before Divali). People all over the country celebrate this day by purchasing new utensils and worshipping the goddess of wealth. On the same day, as has been the practice since time immemorial, votaries of ayurveda join celebrations to worship Lord Dhanawntri, the reigning god of ayurveda, who is believed to have incarnated on that day. Pentavox India Private Limited organised a function at Park Plaza today to mark Dhanwantri Jayanti. The function was attended by many ayurveda practitioners.

The day assumes special significance in the present scenario because after centuries of onslaughts at the hands of invaders and alien rulers, ayurveda, the ancient medicine system of India, is being recognised again. Its renaissance is supported by a gigantic resource of skilled manpower which is equipped with tradition and knowledge. Since a large section of population in India and abroad opts for the traditional health care systems and due to the growing interest and awareness among different sections of people, these days, ayurveda seems to be field which is being watched with high hopes.

In his lecture, Dr R.Vatsayan, a city-based ayurvedacharya, said though tradition and antiquity of ayurveda precedes all other alternative medical systems, but in the terms of marketing patterns, the international arena, however, presents a slightly different picture. The Chinese have been quick to avail of all available opportunities with their aggressive selling strategies. India’s export of herbs is still in the hands of unorganised sector which amounts to not even half of that of China. But still ayurveda as whole is more in demand and many good ayurvedic institutions are coming up in USA and in almost every European country.

Dr Vatsayan, while stressing the importance of ayurveda, said now people had come to appreciate that ayurveda provided non-invasive, highly personalised and healer-based (not machine-based) medical intervention. This process is based on time tested prescriptions of herbs, minerals and life-style patterns. Ayurveda caters to a clientele, who believe in treating body, mind and spirit holistically, recognising that each one of these contribute to the well being of the other in an integrated manner.

The sudden revival and subsequent rise of ayurveda has to be carefully monitored so that certain unwanted trends do not creep into the system obliterating its very essence. One has to understand the duplicity of big pharmaceutical houses who on the one hand resist the promotion of ayurveda and at on the other are busy in launching new herbal drugs conveniently labelled as ayurvedic medicines. “It is surprising to see that why so far scholars of this system have not passed any judgment on the introduction of alcoholic or other synthetically derived herbal extracts by these pharmaceutical giants to be called as ayurvedic”, said Dr Vatsayan.

There are many fields within ayurveda which need greater attention and priority. The herbal wealth which is the backbone of ayurveda is fast depleting and there are only knee jerk reactions to save a large number of precious herbs that are facing extinction.

There has to be a clear and effective policy to nurture the rising demand of herbs in the domestic and international market and it should be made sure that within the country also their quality is maintained. “More and more of our population needs to be made aware about growing the medicinal plants so that the damage done by the vanishing forests can somehow be compensated”, stressed Dr Vatsayan.