What ails the current approach to Ayurveda

Source: The post is based on the article “What ails the current approach to Ayurveda” published in The Hindu on 11^th July 2022.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health.

Relevance: Issues associated with Ayurveda.

News: Ayurveda has been in practice for close to three millennia. Even today, India’s traditional medicine serves the healthcare needs of millions of Indians. But the Ayurveda faces a few challenges that need to be addressed.

What are the challenges associated with Ayurveda?

Has few obsolete treatises: Ayurveda’s ancient treatises contain useful portions alongside obsolete ones. Hence, valuable health promotion and illness management observations need to be carefully filtered from outdated theories and socio-religious superstitions.

Many experts admit that the anatomy and physiology contained in the Ayurvedic classics is mostly outdated and that the official approach to this subject is misguided.

For instance, On urine formation, the text posits that tiny ducts from the intestines carry urine to fill the bladder. This simplistic scheme of urine formation has no role for the kidneys at all.

Philosophical superiority: The belief in the philosophical superiority of Ayurveda has destroyed ancient medical writings from being revisable scientific treatises. The idea of Ayurveda being antithetical to the yukti-vyapashraya (reason-based) character of classical Ayurveda has made the reforms long overdue in Ayurveda. This is highlighted by Usman Committee (1923) and the Chopra Committee (1948).

Misinterpretations in practices: There is a flawed approach of making ancient concepts sound relevant by super-imposing current scientific findings upon them. This will lead to dangerously wrong clinical choices.

What should be done?

Revise Ayurvedic treatises: A century ago, P.S. Varier of the Arya Vaidya Sala Kottakkal noted that the “Sareerasthana (section on body structure and function in the Ayurvedic classics) must firstly be revised and made clearer and the remaining parts must be suited to it.

After this, the other important works should also be corrected. Further, necessary additions must be made either by translations or by collaboration with experts in portions still deficient.

As a medical system, Ayurveda is valuable immensely for its observations. Ministry of AYUSH must take cognisance actions to revive Ayurveda.