Situation of Ayurveda
- By Bhupendra Nirajan
The first health service organization
and medical institution established in the country were
Ayurveda
Hospital and
Ayurveda
College, respectively. Now the country has
dozens of modern hospitals and teaching institutions
related to medicine. However, the central level Ayurveda
hospital is the only one institution of its kind that
has produced hundreds of graduates since its establishment
in 1933.
It is believed that several kinds of treatments - some
of which are still beyond the scope of modern science
- are possible in Ayurveda for a healthy life. Unfortunately,
our Ayurvedic health organizations are remembered only
for certain common ailments. Besides, Nepali Ayurvedic
Doctors (local products) suffer from a trememndous identity
crisis. They are not even eligible to do MD in India
since none of the University has recognized the Ayurveda
College.
There has not been much development of Ayurvedic science
for long.. Although ayurvedic science has tremendous
potentials, no clinical researches have been conducted
in this regard. Most of the ethno-botanical researches,
researches on indigenous knowledge etc are conducted
by either botanist or anthropologist. For the sake of
development of the Ayurvedic science and procurement
of efficient manpower,
Ayurveda
Health Policy (AHP) has emphasized the establishment
of specific institutions. It has proposed the establishment
of a National Ayurveda Study Center for quality service,
management of manpower, research on Ayurveda and resource
management etc. However even after a decade of policy
promulgation, there has been no significant progress
in this regard.
The county has only one central level Ayurveda hospital
in Kathmandu with 100 beds and one regional hospital
with 30 beds in Dang. Besides this, 14 zonal Ayurveda
Ausadhalaya, 55 District Ayurveda Health Center and
216 Ayurveda Ausadhalaya (dispensaries) are in operation..
There is no significant difference between Zonal Ayurveda
Aushadhalaya and District Ayurveda Health Center. Humla,
Mugu, Dolpa, Rukum and Kalikot have only one state-run
Ayurveda Ausadhalaya. Similarly, eighteen districts
(almost of remote region) have only two and sixteen
have three Ausadhalaya.
Besides Ayurveda College, seven institutions (under
Nepal Sanskrit University/former Mahendra Sankrit University)
that produce certificate level (or equivalent) technicians
and three institutions (under CTEVT) for 15-month-training
program are running legally. Out of eleven educational
institutions, seven are in Eastern Region; one doctor-level
(BAMS) college is in Kathmandu, two (AHA level) in Western
region, and two in Mid-Western (both are in Dang) but
not in Far-Western region. Ayurveda education is wide
spread in Eastern part comparatively in Western part
of the nation. People of Western region have no easy
access to Ayurvedic science.
If we do study on the number of Ayurveda technicians
based on their birth place, thirty-one districts have
no Ayurvedic Doctors, twenty-five districts have no
AHA (Ayurveda Health Assistant), and thirty-three districts
have no AHW (Ayurveda Health Worker). Baitadi, Achham,
Dolpa, Kalikot, Jumla, Humla, Jajarkot, Manag, Rasuwa,
Tehrathum, Dhankuta and Taplejung districts have no
Ayurvedic technicians. Panchthar, Sindhupalchok, Sankhuwashava
and Bajura districts have only one AHW and no Doctors
and AHA.
Darchula, Dadeldhura, Dailekh, Bardia, Rolpa and Ramechhap
districts have only some AHA (maximum 4) and no Doctors
and AHW. Makawanpur has only one Doctor and no AHA and
AHW. Sad to say, Mahakali and Karnali Zones have no
Ayurvedic Doctors. Among the five districts of Karnali
Zone, only Mugu District has one AHA and one AHW. Janakpur
is the richest in Ayurvedic technicians while Karnali
is the poorest zone to have Ayurveda technicians including
all levels. Similarly, nearly 49% of total Ayurvedic
technicians are from Central Development Region and
Far-Western Region represents just about 0.012%.
Those areas which are rich in medicinal plants have
neither adequate Ayurvedic research institutions nor
health centers. The regions, which are famous for valuable
medicinal and aromatic plants are devoid of trained
Ayurvedic technicians to use locally available resources.
Transferring skills to the locals and helping them use
their own local resources is the only way to improve
the health status and the socio-economic status of the
community people.
Ayurveda dispensaries are significantly increasing in
the country but effectiveness of the service is yet
to be improved. Centralized system of drug distribution,
insufficient budget for drugs and poor-performance of
the employees are hindering the effectiveness of the
health service. Higher and middle level officers seldom
attend offices in remote areas and in most cases, there
are no adequate drugs to distribute.
To sum up, excessive reliance on modern medicine
is not an adequate way to improve the health status
of people - especially in developing countries. Therefore,
the state should integrate traditional medicine into
national health system and work towards the development
of Ayurvedic sector in the remote areas that are rich
in natural resources.
