Treatment is a treat here

Hospitality

The drive on the Lalitha Mahal Road towards Lalithadripura Road close to the helipad, is a panacea for all chronic illnesses. This is the JSS Ayurveda Hospital with a built-up area of 1,10,000 square feet, which was recently shifted from MG Road to its own spacious teaching hospital.

Walking around the hospital building with the chief medical officer and professor and head of the department of Panchakarma Dr B Gurubasavaraj, is truely a vedic experience.

The committed doctor has a kind word for every patient as he makes the round, when he says, “Ayurveda is not merely a science of treating diseases but ‘an art of living’ along with therapeutic values which dates back to the vedic period. Here preventive aspects are dealt with. Mind and soul are considered as an integral part of human body and therefore ayurveda gives it a holistic approach.”

The ayurveda hospital was started in 1992 with all speciality treatments. The aim of the hospital is to provide quality treatment to the public especially the rural poor.

“The consultation charges is just Rs 25 for the whole year and there is no discrimination between the rich and the poor. The general ward charges are kept as low as Rs 30 per day,” said Dr Gurubasavaraj.

In all there are 170 to 180 beds in the general wards, besides semi-special wards, special wards, deluxe and VIP rooms and 26 treatment rooms.

“The hospital started gaining recognition when yoga students of Pattabhi Jois from all over the world started visiting us after we started the ayurveda hospital in the Aane Karoti building on MG Road in 1992. Till then there was only one hospital, the Government Ayurveda Hospital started in 1908. Dr Channabasappa, Dr Sadashiva and Dr S R Nagalogti Math gave a direction to the growth of ayurveda hospital. People started realising the potential of ayurvedic treatments especially for chronic diseases like spondylitis, arthritis, hypertension, diabetes and a few other diseases,” he said.

Initially to popularise ayurveda, an alternative system of medicine, free medical check-up camps were held and free medicines were distributed in rural areas like HD Kote. These camps continue even now.

“It is a matter of pride to say that to prevent chronic diseases and complicated problems, this is the best system of medicine. WHO has considered Ayurveda as an alternative branch of medicine. The awareness about such treatments which was limited to urban areas increased after these camps were conducted,” he said.

How the study of ayurveda is catching up can be gauged by the fact that from just six colleges it has grown to 55 colleges in a matter of 35 years in the State.

If this is the breakthrough this system of medicine has achieved, it is also because of outlook of science, media and technology.

Another major reason is the globalisation. There are 200 herbal preparations and herbal market is a big market. Thus ayurveda has become the need of the hour. Westerners have shown interest in simple and common herbs like turmeric, neem, siggulu, sulachi and when amruta balli is used as an immuno booster for H1N1, then this system which has 5,000 year old history, has truely arrived, he said.

Another heartening feature of this system is the standardisation process (which the allopathic system always claims only it has).

With the Ayurved Formulari of India involved in standardisation and good manufacturing practises (GMP) having been introduced, there is strict adherence to quality, said Dr Gurubasavaraj.

A retired doctor from Haryana who was being treated for spinal injury has shown remarkable improvement.

“I came here nearly two months ago and I am very happy with the treatment. It could have been better but for my smoking,” said the doctor with a wry smile.

Another patient who had a fall from a height and was treated at a private hospital for two months without any improvement, was shifted here. He says, “I am able to get up, whereas earlier I was not able to move at all.”

‘The mentor of millions,’ Sri Shivarathri Rajendra’s mantra was ‘Patients are our relatives.’ This approach is what has taken this hospital forward and it is sure to grow by leaps and bounds in the years to come.