Concerned about increasing lifestyle diseases, especially among youngsters, the health department is looking at introducing health as a subject for school children.
While the proposal is in the preliminary stages, UT Khader, health minister, said that the department was looking at introducing the subject in schools during the coming academic year.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 115th anniversary celebration of Shathayu Ayurvedic treatment centres, Khader said parents played an important role in ensuring the health of the future generation, but today's parents were either not fully aware or did not have the time.
"If not at home, the idea is to teach children about health at least at school. It is not enough to simply tell them to wash hands before and after eating, or to have a shower everyday. These will be covered in primary sections- but as the child grows, they also need to be taught about how, for example, sugar affects their body, what metabolism is, what they can do to improve metabolism, lifestyle diseases and how to protect oneself from them and so on," Khader said.
According to Khader, the lack of guidance and awareness was also contributing the increasing diseases. "Everyone is a doctor today and suggests anti- biotics for various diseases. There used to be a time when plants were used to cure minor illnesses like cold or cough and so on. Today nobody even remembers these plants which had huge medicinal value," he said. He added that the role of Ayurvedic medicine was especially important considering that it also focused on preventing factors that caused many lifestyle diseases. "Although Ayurveda is often considered the last resort in medicinal treatment, with greater awareness and more accessibility, it could become the first, at least for minor illnesses," he said.
In an effort to make Ayurvedic medicine more accessible and affordable, the health department has proposed to construct 50 bed Ayurvedic hospitals within the campus of District hospitals across the state and 10 bed Ayurvedic centres in taluk hospitals as well.
Construction of hospitals in Chitradurga and Mangalore was sanctioned in the last budget and will begin this year, he added.
Former health minister HC Mahadevappa observed that close to 25-30% of our children were malnourished. "What kind of nation can we build when our children are not healthy?" he asked, adding that Ayurveda had simple solutions in medicinal plants which were also not expensive.
Liver care and management: Improving the health of our livers will improve our overall health, according to Dr Mruthyunjaya Swamy, Managing Director, Shathayu Ayurveda.
"Today's health concerns are lifestyle diseases as opposed to infectious diseases, which is reducing thanks to advancements in medicine. Toxins in food are absorbed by our liver, which becomes sluggish, causing metabolism related problems. Eventually, the liver becomes unable to even absorb the medicines we are taking," he said.
As part of its liver care and management programme, Shathayu will not only provide focused treatment, but will also begin awareness and training programme for doctors in liver care.
Over time, the plan is to expand research into pain management, women and child and infertility issues, he added.
Shathayu has also dedicated an 8 acre property to grow and develop medicinal plants.
While the proposal is in the preliminary stages, UT Khader, health minister, said that the department was looking at introducing the subject in schools during the coming academic year.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 115th anniversary celebration of Shathayu Ayurvedic treatment centres, Khader said parents played an important role in ensuring the health of the future generation, but today's parents were either not fully aware or did not have the time.
"If not at home, the idea is to teach children about health at least at school. It is not enough to simply tell them to wash hands before and after eating, or to have a shower everyday. These will be covered in primary sections- but as the child grows, they also need to be taught about how, for example, sugar affects their body, what metabolism is, what they can do to improve metabolism, lifestyle diseases and how to protect oneself from them and so on," Khader said.
According to Khader, the lack of guidance and awareness was also contributing the increasing diseases. "Everyone is a doctor today and suggests anti- biotics for various diseases. There used to be a time when plants were used to cure minor illnesses like cold or cough and so on. Today nobody even remembers these plants which had huge medicinal value," he said. He added that the role of Ayurvedic medicine was especially important considering that it also focused on preventing factors that caused many lifestyle diseases. "Although Ayurveda is often considered the last resort in medicinal treatment, with greater awareness and more accessibility, it could become the first, at least for minor illnesses," he said.
In an effort to make Ayurvedic medicine more accessible and affordable, the health department has proposed to construct 50 bed Ayurvedic hospitals within the campus of District hospitals across the state and 10 bed Ayurvedic centres in taluk hospitals as well.
Construction of hospitals in Chitradurga and Mangalore was sanctioned in the last budget and will begin this year, he added.
Former health minister HC Mahadevappa observed that close to 25-30% of our children were malnourished. "What kind of nation can we build when our children are not healthy?" he asked, adding that Ayurveda had simple solutions in medicinal plants which were also not expensive.
Liver care and management: Improving the health of our livers will improve our overall health, according to Dr Mruthyunjaya Swamy, Managing Director, Shathayu Ayurveda.
"Today's health concerns are lifestyle diseases as opposed to infectious diseases, which is reducing thanks to advancements in medicine. Toxins in food are absorbed by our liver, which becomes sluggish, causing metabolism related problems. Eventually, the liver becomes unable to even absorb the medicines we are taking," he said.
As part of its liver care and management programme, Shathayu will not only provide focused treatment, but will also begin awareness and training programme for doctors in liver care.
Over time, the plan is to expand research into pain management, women and child and infertility issues, he added.
Shathayu has also dedicated an 8 acre property to grow and develop medicinal plants.
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