INTERNATIONAL TRAINING TCDC IN TCM, 2004 IN BEIJING CHINA

-Dr. Rabindra Pandey
Medical Officer, Department of Ayurveda

Dr. Rabindra Pandey & Dr. Siddhartha Thakur, Medical Officer (Ay), we were nominated from ministry of health for the 2 months training in TCDC international training on Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing from 15th July to 15th September. We had arranged airfare by WHO & full accommodation, traveling and pocket money 30 Yaun RMB by the government of people’s republic of China. Our teaching, learning & hospital practice was managed on TCM research institute & hospital of Beijing & accommodation was managed in HE JING FU HOTEL Beijing. 200 classes were taken by reputed professors of that institute in Chinese medium, translated by professional interpreters. We learned basic theories, practicles and internship of traditional Chinese medicine (herbal medicine, acupuncture, acupressure, moxibustion, cupping therapy, tunia-manipulation, pulse diagnosis, radiological & other diagnostic tools etc.) as well as tours to visit botanical & herbal gardens, many managed in different shifts at indoor & out door departments of hospital.

The special character of Chinese medicine system is integrated system with holistic concept. In medicine, surgery, acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, massage therapy etc. so that in the one hand patients needn't consult different hospitals for different therapy & in the other hand one management, same infrastructure, low number of employee, low cast etc can fulfill the need of many types of patients. The integrated system can give maximum fast & effective result in short time in few costs. For example, in the case of stroke (Paralysis, hemipegia..) surgeon does operation, physician gives allopathic medicines, herbal doctor gives herbal medicines, accupuncurist does acupuncture in same bed, physiotherapist does massage after acute recovery. By combine effort patient get recovery very fast from same bed. Every patient are very happy & satisfied by integrated service. Among many systems of medicine, no one is completely perfect. Each system are not compititative, but supportive to each other. To obtain stream of doctors have basic knowledge about another system so that bilateral co-operation, bilateral respect, referral system & team work is very effective.

In the contest of Nepal, the integrated system may be very effective & practical. More than 85% of people are using traditional system, directly or indirectly. More than 1400 species of medicinal plants are recorded in our country. Due to geographical variations, here are rare & most effective herbals in Himalayan range as well as in tropical & sub-tropical region. Our valuable plants are either imported in foreign countries in very low price (most of them illegally) or they are miss-using as grass & wood. These raw materials are exporting outside the country at the cost of fertilizer and we are compiled to afford medicine produced by these materials at cost of gold. Our national heritages are being registered by other country so that we should pay royalties to consume our products. We are not serious about IPR (Intellectual Property Right). If we don't take appropriate action at appropriate time, out future generations will not excuse us.

If Ayurveda system & medicinal plants couldn't be placed in national priority, only effort of Ayurveda department & Ayurveda manpower could do nothing in this great campaign. Our country is very rich in medicinal plants but we are being beggar wearing suit & tie.

If we can recognize the importance of national heritage, here are dollars in every leaf, dollars in every drop of water & in every place. To develop & enhance our national Ayurveda system, first of all we should make long-term plan by gathering sharp brains, full pockets, electorial manifestos & in chalk- duster. We should invest money, manpower & national strength from higher level to grass root. For the development & research, exchange of knowledge, techniques & experiences is most important subject.
For this, integrated programmers in the field of health service, research as well as entire development are required.
In the sector of health service, integrated mechanism among allopathic, Ayurveda, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Yoga etc in same umbrella is most effective & economic. In China patients are receiving treatment pf every system in one hospital, so that the treatment success rate is very high, hospital staying day is comparatively minimum. Nepal is economically developing country, manpower & resource is also limit. So if health service is provided under one umbrella, maximum result could be obtained by minimum cost & manpower, building construction, maintenance, equipments etc. By exchange of ideas among all systems, man powers also become reasons, we can provide health service using indigenous herbs & minerals. If we registered our national plants & technologies, we can get royalties from foreign countries.
To start integrated system, first of all we should establish pilot project in central level hopspitals. By the observation of combine therapy, it will be easy for, need assessment, further planning. We can get forign aids in research & development of new concept. Thousands of patients have been affording high cost for treatment in foreign countries due to our separate system of treatment. Similarly, millions dollar is going out of country to buy herbal medicines. If we only fulfill our needs but also can earn millions of dollar by exporting in foreign countries.
Recently, the government of Nepal & China had done agreement to establish National Ayurveda Research & Training Centre in the land of Budhanilakantha. It will be mile stone in the sector of research in Ayurveda. Fortunately, I got great oppurtunity in Beijing to share ideas & to get valuable suggestions by His Royal Highness Crown Prince in his China visit at last October. Our Prince is also very interested in the field of medicinal plants. So, we should plan as national agenda in the field of indigenous system for the welfare of nation & peoples.