Minister prescribes yoga for a healthier govt

NEW DELHI, MARCH 28: Donâ€™t be surprised if you walk into a government office and find contorted bodies on the floor. No...

NEW DELHI, MARCH 28: Donâ€™t be surprised if you walk into a government office and find contorted bodies on the floor. No, it’s not a mass epileptic attack that you are witnessing, nor are these people followers of a secret masochistic cult.

They may just be obedient government employees following one of the many suggestions from the health minister that promise to make their lives healthier.

Alternative medicine has found a champion in the form of Health Minister N T Shanmugam. Not only did he write missives to 19 ministries requesting them to include and recognise treatment of alternative systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Homoeopathy and Unani, but has also asked them to introduce “yoga in offices for the benefit of employees”.

Story continues below this ad

The Ministry of Railways has already got back to the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine & Homoeopathy (ISM&H) saying they are open to suggestions involving the setting up of reimbursement schemes for employees opting for treatment using alternative medicine.

Since most of the ministries already have allopathic doctors and hospitals on their panel but no vaids or hakims, reimbursement would be a cheaper alternative than setting up new alternative medicine centres for treatment.

The ministry is further promoting the growth of medicinal plants on which a lot of home remedies and drugs from the indigenous systems of medicines are based, and encouraging women, panchayats and small-scale industries to make and market simple home remedies, herbal tea and sherbats.

The ISM&H have plans to package herbs and tea professionally and market them through cottage emporia across the country. “We are also considering the popularisation of panchkarma or rejuventaing oil massages in ITDC hotels, apart from encouraging farmers to grow medicinal herbs that have high returns,” says an ISM&H official.

Story continues below this ad

There are, in fact, plans to target the tourism and export sectors as well. “Worldwide, there is huge growth in the popularity of alternative medicine and herbal products, mainly due to there being no harmful side-effects if genuine products are used. Even insurance companies abroad have begun including alternative therapies for insurance cover,” says the minister in his letter.

Now it is up to the bureaucrats to decide whether herbal tea and sherbats would replace the caffeine-loaded British brew at departmental meetings. Or whether yoga would bring back a healthy flush to the faded cheeks of the pot-bellied babu.