THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister Adoor Prakash has asked Ayurveda practitioners and students not to be led by unreasonable profit motives. The Minister was speaking at the release of the brochure of the Global Ayurveda Festival to be held in the city in coming February. Adoor Prakash handed over the first copy to Dr C Retnakaran, the pro vice-chancellor of the Kerala University of Health Sciences. ‘’At a time when newer diseases are emerging, the traditional Ayurveda sector could make a significant contribution towards promoting health and well-being,’’ he said. ‘’With more students coming to take up Ayurveda as profession in the recent times, I hope that the proposed global festival would reaffirm the significance of this Indian branch of medicine to the world,’’ he added. Presiding over the function, Deputy Speaker N Sakthan said that the state,‘’can legitimately stake a claim as the home of Ayurveda and it has contributed highly even to the field of tourism.’’ He also called for a holistic approach by integrating different streams of medicine like Ayurveda, Allopathy and Homoeopathy.Jnanpith award winner O N V Kurup, who was the chief guest, said theAyurveda system took root with a vision to save the people and it was, ‘’primarily and fundamentally not for sale.’’The Ayurveda festival is being organised by the Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA) in association with the Ayurveda Department of the State Government, Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI) and Ayurvedic Medicine Manufacturers’ Organisation of India (AMMOI), with a view to promoting the Ayurveda system of medicine at the national and international levels. The event, to be held in the second week of February, will package a host of programmes, from an international seminar involving international Ayurveda experts, clinics by renowned practitioners, meet of Ayurveda students, workshops, outreach programmes, job fair, grand exhibition to showcase the latest in the research and development fields, medicinal plants and herbal products, Ayurveda food fest and expert deliberations on current industry practices and regulatory affairs. The venue of the six-day festival is the Kanakakkunnu Palace. The health expo will be held in a big way with over 300 stalls as a comprehensive platform to display the advancements and activities of Ayurveda sector in the country. Ayurvedic medicines, medicinal plants, herbal cosmetics, medical devices, books and journals will be part of the expo, to be attended by both government agencies and private hospitals. Health care practitioners will also be available for consultations during the event. AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani and Homoeopathy) clinics, consultation by traditional practitioners, stalls of resorts that are into Ayurveda medical tourism, Ayurveda food courts along with diet counselling and display of medicinal plants for herbal formulations will be among the other attractions. An organising committee has been formed which is headed by Dr P K Warrier, Dr M R Vasudevan Nambudiri and Dr G G Gangadharan. Several universities, medical colleges and research organisations will conduct programmes to widen the awareness about this branch of medicine.
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