Ex-Kenyan PM's daughter credits Ayurveda for regaining eyesight, Modi mentions her case at summit

Former Kenyan PM's daughter Rosemary Odinga, who was the focus of attention when Prime Minister Narendra Modi called her name from the dais at an event in Gandhinagar on Wednesday, says her story is testimony to the fact that solutions of AYUSH are universal as she credited Ayurveda for regaining her eyesight a few years ago.

An Ayurvedic treatment at a Kerala hospital helped bring back her eyesight, which she had lost after suffering from brain aneurysm (weakness in blood vessel) and atrophy (shrinkage of muscle) in the optical nerve.

"I guess it is a testimony that AYUSH has helped someone else, other than India, from another part of the world. It is a testimony that it is universal, that solutions of AYUSH are universal, and I am proud to be part of this story," said Rosemary Odinga, daughter of former Prime Minister of Kenya Raila Odinga.

Also Read | India to introduce AYUSH mark which will give authenticity to quality AYUSH products of country: PM Modi

AYUSH' denotes Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.

Rosemary Odinga, who likes to identify herself as a farmer who cultivates snails and other animals at her farm in Kenya, was in Gandhinagar to take part in the Global AYUSH Investment and Innovation Summit.

She said sometime in 2018, she suffered from aneurysm, and subsequently her eyesight became weak. She went to Germany, Japan and South Africa for treatment. "I also went to China two times, where I received treatment using acupuncture," she said.

Having not received much success, Rosemary Odinga finally came to India, where she underwent treatment at Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre at Ernakulam in Kerala around two years ago. There, she has been treated in two sessions of three weeks each, and her treatment continues, said her doctor, chief physician of the hospital, Dr Narayanan Namboothiri, who was also present at the conference.

"When she came to us two years ago, she was totally blind with some light perception with no clear visibility. She came after having undergone several treatments in other countries. She had suffered loss of eyesight due to aneurysm and atrophy in the optic nerve," Dr Namboothiri said.

At the Kerala hospital, she was given pure Ayurvedic treatment, involving oral medication as well as rejuvenation therapy of the nervous system, such as "taila dhara" - specific massages around eyes and head - and some nasal medication, the doctor said.

"After the first session itself she showed signs of improvement," he said. "When she first came, she was only left with some perception of light, and her field of vision was completely lost. Now, she is moving around," Dr Namboothiri added.

Rosemary Odinga, who met Dr Namboothiri at the summit, said she was happy and excited to finally see him clearly. "(When I first met him), I could not see him, I could just hear his voice...follow his instructions. But now I can see him," she said.

During his speech, Modi mentioned Rosemary Odinga's story and said her father, a friend of the Indian PM, once met him in New Delhi and told him about his daughter's condition and how no medical treatment was helping her regain eyesight.

"She was treated in many big countries, but did not regain her eyesight. At last, she found success in India, that too after Ayurveda treatment. Rosemary's eyesight returned, and she can see now. Her father told me that when she saw her children for the first time after the treatment, it was a golden moment of her life," Modi said.

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