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Aarogydham
SARVE SANTU
NIRAMAYAHA
(Life Long Health for All)
Man's physical body is the abode of man's soul. Though perishable, it
must be kept healthy and in good repair in order to be able to achieve
the purpose of life. It was appreciation of this dictum that gave rise
to the body to the organismic whole, uniting body and soul. Ayurveda is
the science of life and its longevity, of which curative medicine is but
one part.
To live, man has to sustain his body, and in this respect shares certain
traits with members of the animal world. The most coomon are the needs
to ingest food and drink and to sllep. He also shares the tendency to
take fright which ensures survival and the compulsion to procreate which
facilities perpetuation of the species.
In animals, the basic physical functions are instinctual and wholly
geverned by nature. Animals cannot trangress nature's design. So long as
they remain within their normal habitat, they are unlikely to lose their
health and vigour.
On the other hand, man is blessed with mind, intellect and soul along
with the body. Perception and imagination are mental faculities; reason,
inventiveness and creativity stem from the intellect, and within the
soul is enshrined the emotional and ethical substance of man. Man is
also endowed with creativity as well as with conscience-the power to
discriminate between right and wrong. All these attributes make man
unique.
Man, however, is prey to the temptations of greed and lust. Disreagrding
the essence of being human, and discarding his power of discrimination,
man becomes slave to unrestrained sensual pleasures. Consumeristic
economies are rooted in this unfortunate human disposition, resulting in
unnatural life styles, causing imbalances in the physical-phychological-intellectual-spiritual
entity of an individual. Over-indulgence in any form induces ill-health,
sometimes to the extent of endangering life itself. This has resulted in
a big increase in durgs, remedies, clinics and hospitals. Some of the
advances in medicine and surgery have led to almost miraculous results.
Yet, despite such qualitative and quantitative increase in health care,
many diseases remain resistant to drugs and consequently new strains of
diseases continue to appear. Failure to arrest the spread of some killer
diseases, leads to anxiety and helplessness. Without a radical new
approach to the subject, therefore, it does not seam possible to
eradicate such diseases, let alone ensure life-long health for all. This
situation has engaged the attention of many perceptive minds.
The world Health Organisation (WHO) has latey adopted the slogan,
"Health for all by 2000 A.D." But if medicine is to continue on the
course and methodology it has pursued so far, it is difficult to
visualise the realisation of this very commendable goal.
Hence the necessity of renewal of the legacy of India's two ancient
shastras (Science) Yoga and Ayurveda. They provide an alternative path
to the goal of maintaining life-long health. These shastras do not treat
the body in isolation, but treat it as part of
psychosomatic-intellectual-spiritual whole.
The key to life-long health lies in maintaining a subtle balance between
body, mind, intellect and soul-the four basic elements of human life. To
achieve this, it is important to rediscover and revive a system of
health and its application. In pursuance of this goal, the DEENDAYAL
RESEARCH INSTITUTE has established AROGYADHAM at a scenic location at
Chitrakoot in Satna District of Madhya Pradesh on the banks of the holy
Manadakini river. This spot is hallowed as the site of Shri Rama's
austerities.
OBJECTIVES:
(1) To review and suggest an alternative way of living for realisation
of life-long health, including life styles contributing to healthy
living is contemplated here. Man is a social animal. He is not born of
his own will. He is the child of mother and father's will. To sustain
his life, he has to depend upon parents, family, locality and
environment. The milieu around him, determines the way he has to adopt
and sustain his or her health. Even in the modern age of technology,
finding out ways and means to enable human beings to achieve life long
health is a must.
(2) Number of diseases are being considered as hereditary. If this
malady is allowed to continue, the future generation may suffer from one
or the other prospective disease. This frightening trend needs to be
forestalled. Ayurveda and Yoga Sciences are capable of checkmating it
and Arogyadham is determined to move in this direction.
(3) Along with the above research, Arogyadham has set up out-door
patient treatment facility to provide cheapest possible medical services
to the poor and neglected sections of the population.
ARRANGEMENTS:
Nidan Sadan (O.P.D. and Diagnostic Lab):
Ayurveda does not merely aim at curative treatment of diseases. It aims
at providing life-long health. For this, it is necessary to find out the
root causes of these ailmetns. Only then would it be possible to provide
not only eradication of diseases but maintainance of life-long health.
The Nidan Sadan has been established for this purpose.
There are two ways of diagnosing the root causes:
(1) Ayurvedic (2) Allopathic
Ayurvedic Diagnostic System:
There are various methods of diagnosing in this system just as feeling
the pulse, observing facial expression, texure of the skin, the look of
nails, eyes, togue etc. This methodology, exercised by a trained and
experienced Vaidya or Hakim, correctly diagnose the causes of the
disease.
Allopathic Diagnostic System:
In this system, different equipment are utilised for diagnosis.
Continuous improvement is taking place in this field of diagnostics.
Arogyadham is after procuring essential equipment. X-ray and Sonography
machines, along with pathology laboratory which have already been
installed.
Naturopathy:
Naturopathy treatment starts with purification of the body. A similar
process, described as Pancha-Karma, is also practised in Ayurveda. That
is why the Panchkarma and the cleaning process of Naturopathy are
clubbed together in Arogyadham.
Chitrakoot Rasashala (Pharmacy):
After diagnosis it is essential to provide proper medicines to the
patients. All such medicines administered by Arogyadham are Ayurvedic,
alongwith suitable treatment of Yoga and Naturopathy. This not only
facilities the patient's speedy recovery but also helps in regaining
vitality for life-long health. Ayurvedic medicines avialble in the
market are not prepared with strict adherence to Ayurvedic prescription.
To save time and energy and to gain more and more profit, some
pharmaceatical companies adopt modern methods of distillation which
detracts the quality of that medicine. That is why Arogyadham has
started its own RASASHALA. Here all medicines are manufactured according
to the prescribed Ayurvedic process. The raw material of herbs is
avialable in surrounding forests and in our own herbal garden. Fresh raw
materials and the indigenous process of preparation helps to enhance the
quality of the madicine and the medicines so prepared become more
effective.
Ayurveda Sadan:
In this Sadan (house) Ayurvedic treatment and research takes place to
find out ways and means of life-long health.
Yoga Vigyan Sadan:
Yogic treatment is becoming more and more popular throughout the world.
Generally people follow only physical exercises pertaining to Asanas.
These exercise are only a part of Yoga Science and not the complete
process. Asanas by themselves cannot ensure life-long health. Pranayama
and Dhyana (Meditation) ought to be practiced along with Asanas for
life-long health. Arogyadham is providing this integrated Yoga treatment
for life-long health with amazing results.
Matru Sadan (Woman and Child Care arrangement):
It is necessary to arrange independent health care facility for women
and children. The constitution and psychology of women are different. It
is their God given privilege to bear children. This feature is not only
physical but psychological also. Arogyadham has, therefore, arranged
special facilities for this purpose in Matru Sadan.
Swasthya Sadan (Indoor Accommodation):
The advancement of Science and Technology is also polluting the
environment, increasing consumerism and promoting artificial life-styles
in the name of progressiveness. As a result it is becoming difficult to
find perfectly healthy persons. Nobody seems to be free from some sorts
of pills or drugs. Though everybody hankers after health, one is unable
to achieve it. The need of this age is to provide a way of life style
for life long health and freedom from hereditary disorders. Arogyadham
has been established to fulfil these twin tasks.
For research, it is necessary to keep selected chronic indoor patients
suffering from different types of diseases. Arogyadham is making
arrangements for 100 such indoor patients. This will help Arofyadham to
study the treatment to keep full data for research. As the aim is to
provide life-long health even for these patients, Arogyadham promotes an
atmosphere more of a Health Resort than a hospital. Arogyadham has not
arranged wards of 50-60 beds. These rooms accomodate a maximum of 8 and
a minimum of 4 beds each. Arogyadham provides one nurse and oneattendant
all the time for every 16 beds. This arrangement is not merely for
administering medicines but for recording all the necessary information
of each and every patient for research alongwith efficient service.
In Arogyadham it is not expected that the patients admitted should
remain all the while in bed. Rather, they are encouraged to participate
in gardering and other recreational activities so that they get over
their patient psychosis.
Ahar-Vihar sadan (Canteen and Recreation Centre):
Generally, indoor patients have to enjoy their prescribed break-fast and
meals in Ahar-Vihar Sadan. Patients who are unable to move, will be
served breakfast and meals on beds. No drinks or estables are allowed
from outside for the patients. Indoor patients will engage themselves in
recreational activities to keep themselves cheerful.
Vindhya Kunj (Residential Complex):
Research for life-long health is a continuous process. Round-the-clock
monitoring of indoor patients is essential for documentation. Hence,
residential accommodation is being provided for all the health care
personal in Arogyadham premises.
Research Scholars' Hostel:
There are different aspects of research in life-long health.
Specialisatation in these aspects is the increasing need of the people.
The novel approach of life-long health is going to be more and more
popular throughout the world. Hence, more and more experts in life-long
health guidance would be in demand in the days to come. To fulfil this
need, Arogyadham is arranging for Doctoral Research (Ph.D.). Suitable
accommodation for such research scholars is being provided.
Swasthya Kuteer (Health Cottages):
Surrounded by Vindhyachal ranges in the lap of a beautiful natural
environment, and situated on the bank of the perennial Mandakini river,
Arogyadham is becoming centre of attraction. Couples from all over India
and abroad longing for health are keen to spend some days every year in
Arogyadham because if the required facilities to gain life long health.
For such families, about 15 Health Cottages are being constructed. They
are placed either on the bank of river Mandakini or the Vaideshi Sarovar,
a beautiful lake. Every health cottage has a front lawn with beds of
flowers. A common swimming pool is being constructed. Swimming is a
soothing exercise which promotes health and joy. Every cottage has an
air-conditioned room alongwith small kitchen just to have tea and
coffee. Breakfast and meals would be avialable only in Ahar-Vihar Sadan.
Go-Sadan:
Milk and milk products of Indian cows are best for promoting health.
Arogyadham has managed to have ten good breeds of Indian cows, numbering
about 100, to provide fresh milk.
Vaidehi Sarovar:
In the centre of the Arogyadham campus, a beautiful lake has been carved
out. Fish and swans add to its beauty and serenity. At the same time, in
a corner of the lake lotus flowers of different hues are blooming.
Boating facility is also available in the lake.
Nurses Training Centre:
Competent nurses for Ayurveda and Yoga treatment are not easily
available. To fill this void, Arogyadham is going to start a training
centre for such male and female nurses.
Library:
Arogyadham is essentially a research establishment. Therefore, reference
books on Ayurveda, Yoga Science and Naturopathy are a must. Without a
rich reference library, no uptodate research is possible. It is
heartening that many rare books and manuscripts are being donated by
renowned Ayurvedic practitioners. Arogydham is collecting health
literature from different parts of the country and abroad. Enriching and
updating the library is a continuous precess for which required funds
are being arranged.
Traditional health care techniques are well-know in our country. It is a
unique feature of our tradition. Written and oral knowledge pertaining
to this traditional practice is available in the countryside. Ncessary
attention has not been paid to this aspect till date. Arogyadham has set
up a team to collect this valuable information from every nook and
corner of the country.
Research Assistants:
Just keeping a rich reference library is not enough. It is essential to
engage a team of research assistants to come up with references for
devising ways and means for life long health. Arogyadham is making
arrangements to this effect.
Documentation Centre:
Since a lot of different therapies are being tried at Arogyadham, very
soon huge mass of data will become avialable, comprising material on
diseases amd diagnostic studies done, medical treatments geven, yogic
exercises practised and result obtained from Naturopathy and Ayurvedic
treatment. All this data will be collected and standardised, documented
and put into the from of a data base. This data base management-system
will be used for research and dissemination purposes. For this, it is
proposed to set up and establish a computerised Local-Area-Network,
initially linking all the facilities available at Arogyadham. In the
next stage, this database will be hooked up through district facility of
NICNET at district Satna via VSAT to be set up at Arogyadham.
This computerised network will be further augmented to link it to the
World-Wide-Web (WWW) through INTERNATE and become globally available to
the outside world. Thus the activites and researches being done at
Arogyadham will assume an international dimensions. This facility is
bound to revolutionise the nation of life-long-health for the mankind in
the coming years.
Auditorium:
An air-conditioned auditorium is under construction at the Arogyadham
campus. This would be used for holding seminars and workshops at
natioanl and international level.
Gardens:
Arogyadham has four major sections of gardening:
(1) Herbal medicines
(2)Orchard
(3) Vegetable garden
(4) Floriculture section
Efforts are being made to collect rare plant species of medicinal values
from all over the world and cultivate them at Arogyadham Campus. A green
House is also being developed for the purpose.
The vegetables, fruits, flowers and madicinal plants are grown with
organic manure. No chemical fertilizers are allowed to enter the campus.
That is necessary for health promotion.
Health Counseling Centre:
Leading a healthy life is not a new concept. But, with lapse of time the
indigenous knowledge of keeping fit is getting lost. The new generation
is falling prey to numberous diseases due to the prevalent life styles.
To reverse this trend is the need of the hour. Parents will have to be
educated in this direction. Arogyadham has estalished Counselling Centre
for newly married couples also. A special batch of experts is engaged in
this task.
Youth of marriageable age will be provided necessary guidance and
elderly couples could also avail of this facility.
Extensive Laboratory:
Healthy living is not an individual task. It is essential to develop a
healthy family, healthy locality and healthy environment for this
purpose. This cannot be avhieved within the four walls of the prevalent
concept of laboratory.
The research findings of laboratories will have to be made available to
the society at large to ascertain its efficacy. Arogyadham is adopting
100 clusters of villages areound Chitrakoot in phases for this purpose.
These centres are named as Gramodaya Centres (GC). Each GC will consist
of five localities on an average. Hence, these GCs would cover 500
villages around Chitrakoot. Successful implementation of the philosophy
of life-long health on such a large scale would be followed as an
achievable ideal by one and all.
Today villagers have no facility of health care. Neither the government
machinery nor the affluent class pays any attention to the needs of the
villagers. Big industrialists and other rich people establish big
hospitals with most modern facilities in big cities. Only the affluent
class is able to avail of such expensive treatments. Majority of the
population has no access to it.
Through the Gramodaya Centres, Arogyadham is looking after the newborn
of 500 villages and develop them as living models of life-long health.
Parents are enthusiastic and they are cooperating in the effort to
create a healthy environment since it is going to help them for the
betterment of their own children. But at the same time, villages in
general are expecting treatment for their own ailments also.
Dadi ma ka Batua:
The aspiration of villagers to get medicare for themselves is but
natural. They are suffering on a large scale because of innumerable
common ailments. Their demand for proper medical aid is fully justified.
Arogyadham has, therefore, developed the concept of 'Dadi Ma Ka Batua'
(Granny's First Aid Bag) to help them get rid of prevalent in olden days
in every family in one form or the other. We have developed a kit of
herbal medicines in our own Chitrakoot Rasashala and have termed it as 'Dadi
Ma Ka Batua'. These medicines are very simple, indexpensive and
effective. A local adult, committed to social service, is selected and
trained to utilise 'Dadi Ma Ka Batua'. All the medicines are prepared
from herbs and they do not create any side-effect, even if prescribed
without correct diagnosis. This experiment of 'Dadi Ma Ka Batua' is
becoming very popular in the villages. This is the beginning towards
life-long health for the poor and uneducated masses of the rural area.
Training in Obstetrics:
Children are born in every village. This process is as old as life and
it will continue as long as their is life on this planet. But no
improvement in obstetrics in the countryside has been possible till
date.
Because of this callous negligence, lakhs of new-born babies and child
bearing mothers are dying every year. Goverment is unable to tackle this
widespread problem.
There two basic tasks involed during child birth. One relates to cutting
the umbilical chord and the other concerns looking after the child
bearing mother. For both of these impotant tasks, our traditional ladies
engaged in mid-wifely are not properly trained. For cutting the
umbilical chord of the new-born child, no precaution is being taken to
sterilise the cutting instrument. As a consequence, many times new born
babies fall prey to tetanus and other infections. Same is the condition
of child-bearing mothers, because their care is neither hygienical nor
adequate.
With a view to tacking the problem relating to child birth and childcare
Arogyadham has set up a Training Programme called the "Midwifery
Training Camp" for the traditional Dayees of villages. For every five
Gramodaya Centres, a Training Camp on child-birth shall be organised
every six months. All the traditional dayees from these five centres
shall participate in such training camps.
Samaj Swasthya Shilpi (Architects of Social Health):
People in villages are not aware of healthy living conditions. There is
the problem of good potable water, hygienic and drainage system.
Malnutrition is playing havoc. There is nobody to guide them to get rid
of these problems.Although they are blessed with natural surroundings,
the unhygienic living is polluting the environment. Arogyadham has
started oppointing one couple in every cluster of 5 villages to take
care of this situation.
The Samaj Swasthya Shilpi being a couple,they are able toreach both, men
and women, in their allocated areas. As this activity is based on study
amd research, it is essential that the couple has the urge to serve the
rural masses, without which the arduous task of living with the
villagers and serving them affectionaly is not possible. Fortunately,
Deendayal Research Institute ia able to get such dedicated couples from
every section of the society across the country.
It is not possible to take up such a task on such a large scale without
subtanial financial help. The hon'ble Chairman of Tata House, Mr. Ratan
N. Tata, understands and appreciates the need and importance of this
project, and he has, therefore, come forward to render intial financial
help for this endeavour. Other business houses are coming forward to
help this mission.
As a matter of fact, the concept of life-long-health for all was very
much appreciated by Late Shri J.R.D. Tata. During the course of
discussions that he had with Deendayal Research Institute, he was
convinced that, for achieving Life-Long-Health, Ayurveda and Yoga
Sciences could play a vital role. He was overwhelmed by the decision of
Deendayal Research Institute to fulfil the task of achieving life-long
health for all and decided to extends his full support to this cause.
Unfortunately, he is not with us today to withness this pioneering
project. Endowed with Bharat Ratna award, Shri J.R.D. Tata was a noble,
ideal and unique son ofour motherland. Deendayal Research Institute has
dedicated this project of Arogyadham to this memory.
VANDE MATARAM |
