Sreedhareeyam: Vision For All: Part 2
Ajay Mathew
04/16/2006

There have been a number of instances at Sreedhareeyam where success was found while it was only failure that the patients met with in other systems of medicine. Some of the miracle successes we have had over the years and the basis of possibility of such cases are discussed below. According to Dr. N P P Namboodiri, its all miracles in the sense that all these helped manifest the capabilities of Ayurveda in an area of health care that needs specialisation. A large number of such cases from the long history of the hospital stand testimony to the supremacy of Ayurveda system of medicine over other systems in treatment of eye diseases.

“At Sreedhareeyam, we strive to maintain and cultivate the hospital into a shrine of hope for hundreds of people who seeks cure from their various and mysterious ailments. Fortunately, due to our long history of successes, we have an astounding number of patients coming in daily from the length and breadth of the country, seeking cure,” Dr. Namboodiri says. “In the field of the treatment of eye diseases, we desire to rank ourselves from an international perspective. The history of the miraculous cures at Sreedhareeyam and our eminent panel of doctors proclaim our supremacy in this field. With all our expertise and resources, we foresee a wider dimension for our services to the society in the future,” the physician says with a sense of pride and hope. In the wake of the prevailing situation, Sreedhareeyam, according to Dr. Namboothiri, “aspires for a wider participation on a large scale in the battle to annihilate darkness of human eye from the face of earth.
Apart from offering treatments to the ailing public, the hospital is also a home-away-from-home for those who desire a retreat from the stress filled life and its hassles. All types of ayurvedic treatments are offered at the hospital, including Full Body Massage, Pizhichil, Dhara, Njavarakizhi, and Steam kizhi, which are administrated scientifically, taking into account the finest details of precision. Other ayurvedic procedures like Nasyam, Swedam, Dhara, and Tharpanam are safely administered by duly trained staff, who are friendly and very helpful to patients, who often do not speak the local language, Malayalam.

All the treatments offered here are unique in the sense that the medicines used for all these treatments are produced at the Manufacturing Unit of the hospital. “The ingredients of the medicine as well as the treatment procedures are all according to those parchments ('thaliyolas') and ancient books ('grandhas'), which counts among the traditional and precious assets owned by the Mana,” Dr. Narayanan Namboothiri, the young and dynamic physician, who heads the research unit of the hospital, says. The research centre is studying several manuscripts on ayurveda, found all over the State and putting them in order. Medicines are grown in the Koothattukulam campus, where the ancestral home of the vaidyas. Medicines are also manufactured here under the supervision of Narayanan Namboothiri, the Chief Medical Officer of the hospital.

The encouragement from the government of India to develop research in Ayurveda has been very minimum. Although ayurveda is an Indian tradition, Delhi exports ayurvedic drugs worth under 5.5 billion rupees (about $120m) a year. By comparison, China's ayurvedic exports are worth $5.56 billion a year. Dr S.K. Sharma, an adviser to the Indian Government, says Delhi has set an export target of $1.08billion by 2008.
Experts predict that hundreds of herbs used for centuries by traditional healers in India could soon be on western pharmacy shelves. Dr Sharma says, with 15,000 plant species, India is well placed to increase its share of the $75billion global market in medicinal plants, which is growing by at least 7% a year.

The Indian Council of Medical Research has launched a series of studies to test the health claims surrounding a variety traditional medicines. Clinical trials have shown that herbal remedies for asthma, diabetes and even sexually transmitted diseases may be effective. The council is looking at treatments for a range of other conditions used for over a thousand years by practitioners of Ayurveda and Siddha medicine.

Professor Ranjit Roy Chaudhury, a member of the council, said that in some cases the herbs may be more effective than Western-style medicines. “We have plants for bronchial asthma, hepatitis and arthritis,” he said. "We have other plants which have been shown to be effective for treating sexually transmitted diseases and they have been used in that way by tribal populations for centuries. We have herbs where you can relieve headache, fever, gastroenteritis, sneezing and coughing. These conditions can easily be alleviated."

Professor Chaudhury acknowledged that in some cases the council will be unable to prove that the herbs work. This is because many of the remedies are based on a combination of plants which taken on their own would not be effective. "There are hundreds of herbs but we are unable at the moment to do very good testing for combinations of plants. “In the Ayurvedic system they use usually combinations. But testing combinations with modern technology is difficult.”

The cost of treatment here is very affordable. A three-week long stay and treatment at Sreedhareeyam cost me about Rupees Twenty Thousand, which is less than $500. For those who prefer Dorms or rooms shared with other patients, the cost could be less than half of what I had to pay. In order for those who cannot afford, the Nellikattu Bhagavathi Devaswom Charitable Trust set up by the Hospital Management helps pay partial cost. In addition, the Hospital has two free clinics in a month, when patients are seen and given supplies for a month free of cost. On an average, more than 200 patients avail these free clinics every month.

A part of the credit of all rare and unique treatments one gets from Sreedhareeyam Ayurveda Gaveshana Kendram can be attributed to the long tradition and experience of the "vaidyans" or physicians belonging to the 'Nellikkattu Mana' over the generations. Nellikattu Mana and their extraordinary knowledge in the science of Ayurveda have a long history, of which the origin could be traced back to the 19th century. Men of this family were well known for anti-venom and eye treatments even in those days. The family originally belonged to a remote village in North Kerala named Sukapuram. They were said to be popular in that part of the world when they decided to migrate to Koothattukulam in Ernakulam district in central Kerala. They attribute their talents and special acumen in curing rare diseases to the blessings of their favorite Deity 'Thirumandhamkunnu Bhagavathi'. All the treatments offered at Sreedhareeyam Ayurveda Gaveshana Kendram starts with a special prayer to Thirumandhamkunnu Bhagavathi.

The science of Ayurveda is the ancient system of treatment of India, which was refined and polished by the wisdom of the ancient Rishis or sages who were said to be the messengers of God and the seat of knowledge. Ayurvedic medicine has been practiced in India for thousands of years. But interest in the technique has been growing in other parts of the world with the general trend towards holistic medicines. It has become a big tourist attraction in the south Indian state of Kerala.. Ayurvedic herbs are studied scientifically, and students take seven years to qualify.

The word "ayu" means 'all aspects of life from birth to death' and the word 'veda' means knowledge or learning. Ayurveda unlike modern science is not only for curing diseases but is a promoter of longevity too. Ayurveda is a holistic and integral medical system as it treats man as a whole - which is a combination of body, mind and soul. The three authentic works that are considered to be the supreme guides to any Ayurveda practitioner are 'Charaka Samhitha', 'Susrutha Samhitha' and 'Ashtanga Hridaya'.

Ayurveda is a science of positive health and fulfillment in life. There are eight branches in Ayurveda which is called Ashtanga Ayurveda. Shalakya Thantra is the Ayurvedic branch of opthalmology or otorininolaryngology, a detailed study in the etiology, diagnosis, prognosis, prevention and treatment of diseases that affect the portions of 'Jathrurdva' or the portions from above the neck like head, ears, nose, eyes, throat.

Acharya Susrutha was a true master in the subject such that most of his observations in the subject are alien even today to the modern medicine practitioners. For instance, Susrutha describes five types of pteryguim, a disease of the eye, whereas modern science is only aware of four types. Susrutha could be hailed as the pioneer surgeon in medical history who systematically and elaborately dealt with the anatomical structure of the eye. The prognosis made by him on Aveitis and Glaucoma is regarded as remarkable and has not been improved even today.
"Netra roga vigyan" or the knowledge of the management of eye disorders is a part of Shalakya Thantra. The original work of Nimi or Vidheha on Shalakya Thantra alone is not available today. Susrutha has stipulated drug therapy for various types of conjunctivitis and glaucoma along with surgical procedures for the removal of cataract and pteryguim. Some of the very useful texts such as 'Yogaratanakara', 'Bhavaprakasha', 'Ashtanga Hridaya', and 'Sarangadhara' deal with the science of these diseases very deeply.

There are altogether 72 eye diseases as described by Susrutha in Ayurveda. Among them Cataract, Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy and Macular Degeneration are the most common diseases which are found commonly today. Other diseases like Pteryguim, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Myopia are also found.

Ayurveda, the 5,000-year-old tradition of herbal medicine, is considered an "alternative" to modern/Western medication in the modern world. Ayurveda uses herbs and spices like basil, turmeric, garlic, ginger and aloe vera, as well as yoga exercises, to treat physical and psychological problems. The market in traditional medicine is large, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates. DN Tewari, chairman of the ayurveda task force in India's Planning Commission, says, ayurveda's attractions are growing by the day. "The world as a whole is switching over from chemical drugs to natural drugs because they are non-narcotic, they have no side-effects and are easily available. "The world is interested in simpler and gentler therapies - especially for ageing, the problem of obesity, diabetes, neurological disorders, cardiac diseases and digestive problems."

Recognizing the rapid growth and changes in the health care, the Indian government has decided to introduce a `medical visa' for foreigners who come to India for medical treatment, enabling them to stay on for an extended period. The medical visa would be admissible to all foreigners seeking medical care in recognized specialty hospitals or treatment centers. The initial period of such a visa will be one year or for the period of treatment whichever is less. Unlike the tourist visa, this can be extended and the State Governments and FRROs have been given the powers to extend such a visa.

Even as the ancient ayurveda science is becoming increasingly popular, it has encountered several hurdles too. Lack of funding for research has limited its growth and wider use. However, utilizing the available on going research, basing them on the ancient wisdom of the Rishis and Munis, and availing the few encouraging measures from the government of India, Sreedhareeyam, a growing, modern, and professional institution, marches on with its vision, restoring “vision for all.”

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