Ayush practitioners are welcome

Centuries of knowledge from the traditional Indian systems of medicine, combined with conventional medical practices can provide the UAE residents with a holistic answer to their medical woes. This was the conclusion drawn from the opening ceremony of the first Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush) conference and exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Top officials in the healthcare industry from the UAE and India, including Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of State for Tolerance and Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of Ayush, India, attended the opening day of the conference, opening a new chapter in India-UAE relations.

Sheikh Nahyan said: "Ayush practitioners are welcome to offer their services in the UAE. Ancient Indian practices recognise the uniqueness of every individual, and treat them accordingly. With this conference, it is evident that there is a need for ancient Indian medicinal practices in the country, and the UAE welcomes this ancient principle to be combined with conventional medicine to provide patients in the UAE with holistic wellbeing." 

The conference is organised under the patronage of Sheikh Nahyan, with the guidance and support of Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi and Consulate General of India, Dubai. Dr B R Shetty, chairman of the organising committee of Ayush, gave the opening address at the session and is hopeful about the growth of Ayush in UAE.

Naik said: "This conference is just the beginning. We aim to strengthen the presence of Ayush in UAE. Our objective is to promote best practices of traditional medicine and exchange of information and expertise amongst each other."

He confirmed that they are in talks with several departmental heads at the Ministry of Health (MoH), to provide easy access to practitioners of Ayush. "Traditional healthcare practices are deeply imbibed in our culture, and the dependence of traditional medicine is very high. I believe that it can be meaningfully harnessed for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases," Naik said. 

Navdeep Singh Suri, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, said: "Some of the best remedy to lifestyle diseases such as a backache, depression, headaches, etc. are available with the Ayush system of medicines."

He opined western sciences are shackled by sticking to strict protocols. "The challenge is to blend ancient knowledge with these strict protocols and accept that Ayurveda works. We're positive that Ayurveda will be taken the next level in the coming years," added Suri.

Dr Amin Hussain Al Amiri, assistant undersecretary of Public Health and Policy and Licensing Section, stated that Arab culture has a history of traditional medicine and the UAE government has always been supportive of the same. "Since its inception in 2003, over 400 traditional, complementary and alternative medical (TCAM) practitioners and therapists have been evaluated by the Ministry of Health, and approximately six examinations are conducted in a year," informed Al Amiri.