If the pandemic has made one thing certain, it is that conventional medicine alone is not enough to guarantee universal healthcare to India’s burgeoning population. We need to adopt a precautionary and prevention-oriented approach to combat the epidemic of non-communicable diseases, which are currently responsible for over 61% of deaths in the country.
Naturopathy is one such system that works on the principle that the body has the ability to heal itself. The naturopath takes into account physical, environmental, psychological and social factors while devising a treatment plan for the patient. The unique patient-centric approach is a direction even conventional medicine has been moving towards. Over time, this translates to lower medical expenses, fewer hospital visits, and a better quality of life.
Traditional pharmaceutical interventions are designed to control symptoms by altering the biochemistry of the body. Some examples include blood pressure medications to control hypertension, statins to control high cholesterol, painkillers for menstrual cramps and headaches, and sleeping pills to control insomnia. These medications can provide symptomatic relief and serve an important role in our current healthcare delivery system. However, this approach does not promote true health as it fails to address the underlying problem in its entirety. You can mask the symptoms with medication, but the underlying problem will continue to cause more problems in the future.
Clinicians spend more of their time on treating symptoms with drug interventions. Naturopaths, on the other hand, specialize in treating the root cause of the diseases and use non-invasive therapies like clinical nutrition, lifestyle counselling, botanical medicine, and a variety of detoxifying regimens. Customized supplements and herbal medications can help in addressing the underlying functional and pathological imbalances. Naturopaths are also well-trained in pharmacology.
On 25th March, the Medical Council of India issued detailed telemedicine practice guidelines, making it possible for registered practitioners to provide virtual consultations. The IRDAI provided additional relief to patients by directing insurers to include telemedicine claims in policy settlements. The statutory support comes in the wake of a consensus – as we adjust to a new normal, we have to get used to the fact that telemedicine is going to become an integral component of our healthcare system. It also presents a great opportunity to increase the interface between conventional and alternative systems of medicine like naturopathy.
At present, India has a three-tier structure to provide healthcare services to people. The primary tier comprises of sub-centres, primary health centres (PHCs) and community health centres (CHCs). The second tier comprises of district hospitals and sub-divisional hospitals that provide healthcare services in urban areas of every state. The tertiary tier comprises of super speciality hospitals and medical colleges that provide tertiary care services to people. The quantum of government medical colleges, district hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals, CHCs and PHCs is large and their spread is vast.
The government should institute a central committee with naturopathic experts, who can work under the aegis of the AYUSH ministry, to solve regulatory issues, standardize the practice of naturopathic medicine, and ease the process of integrating it with modern medicine. Clinical research on naturopathy must be encouraged. Although the government established a central council for research in naturopathy and yoga, the area remains grossly underexplored. Centrally funded trials will help establish the effectiveness of naturopathic treatments and promote its practice. Allocating funds to integrate complementary and alternative systems of medicine into the primary care setting by deploying the latest technology will help broaden their reach, cement their efficacy, and promote a system that will be more effective in a post-Covid-19 world.
(The writer is Senior Chairman, Jindal Naturecure Institute)