HEALTH VISION

HEALTH FOR ALL-A VISION FOR 21ST CENTURY
-Dr. Harsh Vardhan, M.B.B.S., M.S. (E.N.T.)
Advisor, W.H.O.

According to W.H.O. constitution “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” What is health? Have we seriously thought about it? All religious and all leading lights have spoken on health emphasizing its value. Thomas Jefferson once said “There is only one wealth and that is health”. Gandhiji always reminded his audience of the value of health and he himself vigorously pursued a disciplined life in pursuit of health. His life is an example how by observing simple rules enunciated by our Sages one could stay healthy. Understanding and protecting health is an important means to meet challenges in these difficult times. Our ancestors advocated that the path to health goes through the mind. Controlling mind and manipulating the thoughts can also maintain physical body in a healthy state. Health care systems in many parts of the world today are in turmoil as observed by World Health Organisation (W.H.O.) due to adopting a mechanical and materialistic approach to health. Governments in developed and developing countries alike have miserably failed to attain the cherished goal of ‘Health for all’.

Despite repeated assertions and tall claims on our achievements in health field such as a raise in life expectancy and elimination of small pox and so on, the fact is that health scenario in India continues to remain bleak. This is a direct consequence of 50 years of neglect of health as well as education, which are inextricably linked. The document prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the 21st Century admits that healthcare systems in most of the countries of the world lie in shambles. To address the health concerns of a modern society is no simple task.

The scale of poverty and illiteracy makes the goal of health care delivery to all extremely complex. An educated and literate populace is easy to deal with in matters of health, education and advancing preventive health care, which result in higher prevalence of safe motherhood, lower infant mortality and lower birth rate. The characteristics of this poor state of the health of the nation have been a consistently falling allocation for health (3.3 per cent in first five years plan, 3 per cent in second plan) despite the ruling government's acceptance of Bhore Committee report which advocated a 10 per cent allocation for health, down to 1.9 per cent as per latest available figures. Even neighbouring Sri Lanka spends 5.2 per cent on health. The low allocation coupled with neglect of our own indigenous system of medicine as well as preventive, promotive, rehabilitative, and public health and a disproportionate stress on curative and tertiary health care has today left our health care system in a blind alley.

The other hallmark of the myopic vision of the health planners has been an utter disregard of the ancient wisdom handed down to us by our ancestors. The foundations and principles of modern day health care are well enshrined in our scriptures. Millenniums ago our sages expanded and propagated a holistic vision of health carrying the philosophy of health beyond the currently held vision of physical, mental and social well being to embody spiritual well being. Modern scientists have failed to appreciate that our noble forefathers with far less material possessions could generate energy and vitality to protect their physical and mental health by practising spirituality whereas the people of developed and rich countries today remain highly stressed and in poor health despite much affluence and wealth. This phenomenon of stress has recorded unprecedented growth in last few years in consequence to switch over to a market based economy, which has caused widespread joblessness, reduced social security and an ever-impending fear of losing job. I think alleviation of stress is one of the biggest formidable tasks confronting the healers of today and modern medicine's purely technical and mundane approach will be of little help in this regard.

Our health planners overlooked the age-old Indian wisdom to promote borrowed ideas and promoted only one system of medicine, the so called modern medicine which itself has failed to ensure health to everyone in most affluent nations despite a phenomenal increase in health sector spending. As we enter the new millennium, having failed in their attempt to achieve the targets, there is a paradigm shift in these countries and a new approach that underscores integration of holistic method is being seriously considered. Due to misplaced priorities in health sector, today in India while a handful minority can claim to have world-class health care at home, millions of Indians do not have access to any health care at all let alone primary health care. It may look strange and paradoxical but the fact remains that the role and responsibility for ensuring health for every one is more dependent on what action and policies other ministries adopt than the health ministry alone. Thus availability of safe drinking water must be arranged by civic authorities as also safe disposal of human excreta, other wastes and provision of sanitation; food and agriculture ministry should ensure cheap and affordable food stuff meeting the nutritional requirements; urban transport ministry should provide means of safe transport to reduce injuries and accidents which account for substantial morbidity and mortality in all developed and newly industrializing countries; environment ministry should ensure a safe and healthy environment by formulating standards and their proper enforcement ; ministry of housing should make available good and healthy dwellings for all. The role of health ministry should largely be focussed on ensuring highest standards of public health, preventing diseases as nearly 80 per cent ailments are amenable to prevention, and promoting healthy life style and healthy behaviours. Community participation and involvement remains the backbone of any good health care system.

The successive governments at the centre never visualized health as a path leading to human development but treated it as a second class government department that needed some allocation simply because it was there. Policy makers, planners, health care providers today have to pay for the past sins and face serious challenges as on one hand expectations of people continue to rise due to technological breakthroughs and availability of new modalities for diagnosis and cure, and on the other hand prohibitive cost makes these inaccessible for much of the population even in developed countries. Substantial hopes were raised by World Health Organisation initiated strategy of 'Health for All' by year 2000. Now that the year 2000 has come the goal remains elusive with new threats emerging from AIDS, Tobacco-related illnesses, drug abuse and resurgence of old infectious diseases. However, the intervening period gave us time to analyse the constraints and impediments to achieving this goal. In my own assessment the goal of health for all is laudable and the approach of attaining it through 'primary health care approach' is also correct but it requires a broader, more comprehensive and integrated approach which should take cognizance of our age old wisdom, practices and societal beliefs. Ancient Indians were known to enjoy long and healthy lives when no technologies existed. Whatever they said or thought has proved to be correct no matter which scientific scale one uses. That eating less is associated with a longer life was a fact known to them (Alp Bhuktam Bahu Bhuktam - one who eats less enjoys food for a long time).

Their biggest observation was that vegetarian food consumption is associated with a longer life and lesser affliction with degenerative diseases. This fact is now universally accepted and even scientists have approved of this. The holistic approach imbibing and assimilating our ancient systems might have perhaps allowed us to reach the goal at lower cost and with less pain much earlier.

Current Health Indicators
Let us first see where do we stand today and what are our achievements ? After Independence the life expectancy of an Indian (life expectancy denotes the average number of years a newborn child is expected to live under current mortality conditions) has risen from 32 years at that time to 63.5 years between 1996-2000 year; the maternal mortality at present is 420/100,000 live births which is still too high; the death rate from 27.4/1000 population has dropped to 9/1000 population in last decade and infant mortality rate has declined from 146/1000 live birth at the time of independence to 74/1000 live births in last decade. An interesting fact is that though these figures represent the national averages there is a wide inter-state variability and some states like Kerala are way ahead whereas states like Bihar and Madhya Pradesh lag behind. Again though infant mortality has registered a drop; problem of malnutrition has not been solved and remains a matter of grave concern. We still have only 67 per cent of the newborns weighing at least 2500 g at birth. It is now universally acknowledged that poverty is harbinger of poor health and without a reasonable socio-economic development health for all cannot be achieved. Yet the 'human development report, published in the last decade' places the overall prevalence of poverty in India at 38 per cent, i.e., about 350 million, which is an unacceptably high figure. Average calories consumption in India is about 2,280 calories, which is less than the recommended minimum dietary intake. More alarmingly the poor nutritional state resulting from this insufficient calories intake is far more prevalent in pre-school children, which might have serious effect on their physical and mental development. In women, prevalence of anaemia during pregnancy is as high as 87.5 per cent with 13 per cent recording severe anaemia, which has profound implications for the health of newborn. Similarly potable water, disposal of waste, sewerage system and clean toilets are available to not many. Besides there are other distortions like three doctors to one nurse whereas there should be three nurses for one doctor, lack of adequate numbers of public health specialists, epidemiologists, pathologists and radiologists. Above all the world's first nation to launch a family planning programme way back in 1952 has miserably failed in meeting the targets thanks to the corruption perpetrated by the governments in power.

Current Trends
Recent research indicates that role of life style and environment is perhaps more profound on human health than was previously thought. Interestingly, our ancestors always knew this secret as is evidenced by their great penchant for cleanliness, environmental sanitation and food hygiene. Indian system of medicine invariably recommended alteration in diet and food habits in all cases of illness. The concept of biodiversity was propagated and one was exhorted to show compassion to all living beings and even trees. Isa Upnishad clearly states ' Isa Vasya Midam Sarvam Yat Kinch Jagtyam Jagat (. 'God dwells in all and everything what ever is present in this universe'. To promote social well being and harmony they enunciated the concept of ' Vashudhev Kutumbukam' The world is a family. If every one is a family member where is the room for discord and how can there be isolation and alienation?

We now recognize that many ailments result due to a changing life style and many disorders are related to nutrition, alcohol, smoking and not the least stress. What is not frankly accepted is that many of these diseases are the results of a society that alienates people from themselves and each other and modern medicine is unable to provide solutions to this. Identifying the need for social answers to disease is also an important part of the solution. If healing of people is to be really achieved, spiritual dimension of care is basically important. A decidedly more human and healing approach is required which stresses promotion of body's self-healing powers as was preached and practiced by our ancient systems. A serious effort is required to explain the strength of spiritual aspects of healing to modern practitioners and it calls for a new approach so that health care providers inculcate and adopt this.

Current trends in medicine are stressing a concept of health care based on 'quality of life' and this dimension is assuming increasing importance in health care. This becomes particularly relevant as the life expectancy increases and people start living longer. In fact this concept was first put forth in our scriptures, which maintained that not only we live to 100 years, but also have our vision, hearing and other sensory and motor functions intact. Prof. O. Boyle of Ireland says that illnesses, diseases and their management can significantly influence areas such as functioning, mobility, mood, life satisfaction, sexuality, cognition and ability to fulfill occupational, social and family roles. The emerging quality of life construct may be viewed as paradigm shift in outcome measurement since it shifts the focus of attention from symptoms to functioning. This holistic approach more clearly establishes the patient as the center of attention and subsumes many of the traditional measures of outcome. Quality of life assessment is particularly relevant to aging populations both for healthy elderly and for those who develop chronic diseases where maintenance of quality of life rather than cure may be the primary goal of treatment.

Futuristic Vision of Health for all

During my tenure as health minister my ministry accorded high priority to the neglected public health system. Right at the outset we prioritized our activities, prepared an action plan to address the distortions, I talked about above. We encouraged community participation and involvement beginning from the launching of 'polio eradication programme' and continued till end. I felt people do get motivated and enthused if they are communicated the message of health unambiguously.

The Delhi government was the first one to take an initiative for the 'Rational Use of Essential Drugs'. The programme was so successful that it has now been adopted by dozen states in India. The WHO has recognized it as 'Delhi Model' and is being propagated and implemented in many countries of the world with the guidance and support of India WHO programme for Rational Use of Essential drugs. We were very concerned about ' tobacco related illness' and despite much hindrances a bill was passed in Delhi as ' the Delhi prohibition of smoking and non-smokers health protection Act 1996'. Several states in Indian union have vowed to emulate it and the Supreme Court of India also directed the Chief Secretaries of all States and Central Govt. to make similar legislation every where. Continuing with our mission to prevent diseases due to environment and occupation and protect environment a center for occupational and environmental Health in Lok Nayak Hospital was set up and the ministry launched campaigns on 'Matri Surksha Programme (safe motherhood)' to strengthen reproductive health, ' Cancer Control Programme', 'Cataract Free Delhi Programme' and 'Shravan-Shakti Abhiyan '(for deafness affecting old and rehabilitation of elderly deaf). We were able to enact ' Delhi Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Bill' and ' Delhi Artificial Insemination Act'. To promote holistic vision of medicine 100 acres of land was earmarked for setting up in half the area a hospital based on Naturopathy and drugless therapy. In the remaining half an Ayurvedic Medical College along with a hospital and research center is being established. Medicinal herbs will also be grown in this area.

A 'Healthy City Project' was also started in trans-yamuna locality, ' Hepatitis B Immunization Programme' was taken up and we established a 'Delhi Research Center for Modernized Promotion of Ayurveda (the Indian system of medicine)'. To strengthen health education we carried over the concept of health to schools and introduced ' Compulsory Yoga and Positive Health Education' in schools and also initiated a value based calendar to promote and inculcate moral values among children at a tender age.

However, I have to honestly admit that much remains to be accomplished. I am for promoting the 'Human Face' of medicine and considerable effort is needed to inculcate these virtues among our budding physicians. They need to be reminded what our ancient sages propagated ' Natmrtham Napi Kamartham Ath Bhuto Dayam Prati, VartateYatichikitsayam Sa Sarvamati Vartate-( :'nor for gaining money, nor for fulfillment of any desire but only with compassion if medicine is practiced then

Author is President, Delhi State Bharatiya Janata Party and former National Vice President BJP only everyone will agree that it is true medicine'. The Hippocratic oath has lost meaning today as a significant number of physicians are becoming bereft of compassion and remain preoccupied with the pursuit of material possessions. I strongly feel this to be the biggest challenge as to how do we change the mindset of our healers so that poor and needy do not feel unwanted.

A major and the most important task in my view remains that politicians, decision makers and those who rule have to appreciate the importance of health. A restructuring and reorganisation of health ministry has become a compelling indispensability. For the reasons enumerated above, sub-departments of health may have to be contrived in all ministries for better inter sectoral coordination and for emphasizing on them the exigency to initiate appropriate actions to aid health ministry. They should become equal partners in health promotion movement and preventing illness. Secondly, the allocation for health should be augmented from present abysmal levels to more realistic levels. Let health be concern of one and all.

A new and integrated holistic system of medicine is the need of the hour, which should incorporate the best of all systems including Ayurveda, Siddha, Yoga, Naturopathy, Homeopathy and our other ancient systems. These systems and their practitioners have served and healed the mankind for millenniums and they cannot be ignored and dumped as unscientific and irrational. Integration of these systems may help contain fast rising cost of medicine. Students can pursue postgraduate medical qualification in any system such as Homeopathy, modern medicine or Ayurveda and should be able to practise the way they like.

In the medical curriculum for first few years all systems such as Ayurveda, Homeopathy and Naturopathy may be taught and at the end of this term students can choose whichever option they like. We cannot afford to ignore the wisdom and sayings of our great ancestors who selflessly served the mankind and handed down to us a code of conduct on nutrition, daily habits, spirituality and strengthening the moral values to delay and forestall onset of old age and illness.

Organisations and associations like chambers of commerce and industry, Rotary and Lions International with branches all over, and numerous social and philanthropic organisations representing important groups of citizens may be roped in to building a strong movement of 'health for all'. They may be motivated to divert part of their energy and resources to take up health issues and become active partners in the endeavour of preventing illness and promotion of health. They may be urged to wholeheartedly support government initiatives on positive health and rehabilitation and care of disabled.

In my view, two other aspects which have profound impact of health and human development that require urgent consideration are involvement of students in a massive way to communicate and disseminate message of positive health among masses and encouraging every individual's participation for positive health. Students can donate some of their leisure time and vacations towards this altruistic goal of positive health. This will also enable them to acquire a health conscious attitude early in life. Individual potential may be harnessed by sensitizing him towards health. A total attitudinal transformation of people in thought, action and belief based on our ancient culture is required to make health a meaningful and purposeful concept so that every one visualizes himself as guardian and defender of environment and health. Armed with healthy and hygienic habits and a positive frame of mind he can be groomed to contemplate upon performing one good act a day that should help in community development and acquisition of a proactive health culture, i.e., he can plant a sapling in front of his house or in neighbourhood, exhort people to work towards improving their immediate ambiance. Individuals may be nurtured to assume responsibility for their own health by shedding negative habits like tobacco, alcohol, other substance abuse and adopting a positive behaviour by 'undertaking regular physical and Yogic exercises, going to bed early and waking up early; this brings a person in contact with cosmic energy of the rising sun and may ensure restoration and proper functioning of endocrinal system, consuming a balanced, nutritive and vegetarian diet as recommended by our ancestors (Hit Bhug, Mit Bhug, Kal Bhug ) (Eating what is beneficial, in small quantity and at proper time), paying attention to food and kitchen's sanitary state, health and hygiene of the cook and disposing off the wastes properly, offering leftovers to other living creatures, worshipping plants and trees, showing care and compassion to one and all as adhered to in our scriptures. This only would make health a successful movement.

Before I conclude I would like to highlight certain emerging areas where urgent action is required. Injury Prevention and Control is an area not well appreciated by health policy makers and healthcare providers. The disease burden on account of traumatic injuries whether due to traffic, or at home or at work or recreation is unacceptably high and needs urgent steps to reverse the rising trend.

The Herbal medicines, their cultivation, and export is another important area that needs to be promoted. These have provided relief to people in India for thousands of years. Such a policy of promotion would generate earnings, and employment and would provide affordable alternative treatment to those who are unable to access modern healthcare facilities.

The immunizations have enabled us to get rid of the scourge of small pox, diphtheria and other communicable diseases. The time is ripe to further expand the programme to include immunization against hepatitis B, Hemophilus influenzae, hepatitis C and many other vaccine preventable diseases. Such immunization initiatives require commitment of the corporate world who should come forward to play a proactive role in propagating prevention. Gates Foundation in USA has taken a lead by donating large sums for this cause in the developing world.

Strategies in existence for population control shall have to be reviewed extensively. Disincentives and incentives linked to population control and small family norm shall have to be introduced at every step and everywhere in life of an individual. Literacy programme, particularly for women shall require dynamic improvements and strengthening. Uniform civil code would have to be introduced and enforced. Law shall have to be enacted for all elected people from panchayat to parliament to bar entry of those who disrespect small family norm. A debate must start in the country for enacting a law for the common man to restrict his family size.

Finally, the problems of health remains inseparably linked to socio-economic upliftment. The poverty angle has to be tackled at war footing. Health for all as part of sustainable development can only materialize if poverty levels are brought down.

I may conclude by reiterating that health is a complex subject but there has been a better understanding of the factors influencing health in last few decades. Government and ministry of health alone can not and will not succeed in achieving the goal of ' health for all' unless every single person and every organisation is galvanized to become a part to this concept and idea.

VISION FOR A NEW MILLENNIUM HEALTH

• Evolving a sound and workable health policy based on the assessment and evaluation of the achievements and failures of last 50 years

• Poverty elimination and socio-economic upliftment is integral to attainment of Health for All.

• The new policy should focus on disease prevention, disease control, and eradication, promotion of positive health and protection by encouraging safety at all places including leisure and sports

• Linking attainment of health and healthy environment with socio-economic development

• Massive programme to eliminate poverty, inequity and economic disparity

• Full fledged cabinet minister to head health ministry

• Separate minister for Indian and other systems of medicine targeting positive health promotion

• A separate minister to head environmental health

• Step up budget to at least 10% in health as well as education

• Sub departments of health in all ministries

• Health & education top most on the agenda of government (not only in speeches & pre poll promises)

• Vaccines against all vaccine preventable diseases to be made available to all children in the country

• To capitalize on the success of polio eradication programme and harness the experiences for maximizing gains from national health programmes envisaged in future

• Launching a major offensive against major killers like tobacco, tuberculosis, malaria, AIDS and others

• Formulating a plan for involving talents and energies of all non- governmental organizations for creating a health movement in the country to attain goals set by national health policy

• Preventing duplicity of efforts of NGO’s working in health sector to ensure proper and meticulous assignment of roles, responsibility and demarcation of geographical region

• Revising the curricula of medical education to make it more adept to solving existing national health problems, - environment and health issues such as air pollution related morbidity

• Relocating and reorienting medical research to investigate gene – environment interaction and identifying the aetiology rather than the treatment of an illness, i.e., we delay the progression of a disease rather than looking for the treatment

• Vulnerable groups like Women, Elderly & Children receive maximum attention in policy of the Government.

• Utilizing the ancient Indian wisdom that has withstood all scientific experimentation and scrutiny in our health decision making

• Encouraging and educating people to adopt healthy life styles

• Yoga & meditation centres in all the districts-every one to have access

• Every school, office, building to be utilised for propagating and providing yoga & meditation facilities

• Massive positive health education through schools & all places including radio, T.V., offices, rail, buses and every public outlet

• Privatisation of health services to an extent that it does not promote inequities

• New cost effective and affordable technologies to be available in health sector to all without discrimination

• Population control to become a big movement
  -Effective family planning programme
  -Need for law for effectively controlling population
  -Incentives and disincentives in and at every place you can imagine to strengthen population control
  -Law for all elected members from panchayat to parliament to pursue small family norm

• Better planned healthy cities continuously working for health movement

• Well-managed urban environment

• Promotion of health by educating people to follow traditional Indian lifestyle to avail the benefits of positive health culture such as proper nutrition, yogic exercises, meditation, vegetarianism etc.

• Education of people about alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse as well as threat of unsafe sexual behaviour

• Provision of safe drinking water to all to eliminate water borne diseases which are entirely preventable.

• Strengthening of sanitation by properly disposing all categories of hazardous wastes such as human excreta, hospital waste, toxic industrial waste and hazardous domestic waste

• Promoting environment and eco-friendly technologies producing minimum waste,

• Promoting food safety, product safety, traffic safety, home safety and safety at workplace

• Providing safe, efficient, affordable and easily accessible urban transport system-to save time, prevent exposure to pollution, eliminating probability of accidents and injuries

• Ensuring healthy housing to everyone

• Promoting health at work place

• Cleaner technologies and cleaner fuels for curbing Air Pollution

• Curbing water pollution by preventing discharge of toxic and hazardous effluents into rivers and water streams

• Curbing soil contamination by encouraging judicious use of pesticides, banning toxic pesticides and licensing sale of hazardous pesticides,

• Promoting eco-friendly and bio-degradable consumer products,-discouraging use of plastics/polythenes-encouraging use of earthen pots and banana leaves for daily use,

• Organization systems for disaster management

• Efficiency of existing health infrastructure and its proper utilisation should be increased

• Health care system should reach everyone and be people friendly

• Provision of health insurance services through Indian companies. Insurance premium for
  poor to be provided by the government.

• Curbing exploitative strategies of pharmaceuticals and medical technology manufacturers,

• Essential drug policies to be implemented in the government and private sector vigorously-
  priority to be given to remove obstructions and barriers created by the vested interests,

• Business organization and citizens to participate actively in health sector movement in a big
  way

• Institutional mechanism to coordinate all activities connected with the conservation,
  sustainable use and propagation of medicinal plants

• Ayurvedic and alternative medicines- promote standardisation, quality control and sustained
  research

• Invest in woman’s health and development to eliminate gender discrimination and disparity

• Ensure universal access to quality health care

• Mobilise financial resources for health and promote their effective use

• Ensure adequate and complete nutrition at affordable cost

• Advocate and advocate intensively for health

• Uphold and enforce medical ethics

• Strengthen epidemiological surveillance and health information

• Strengthen health care for elderly

• Public Health needs to be strengthened by immunizations, community participation, providing
  clean drinking water and better disposal of waste

• Health professionals and experts marginalised since independence, Indian medical services
  long awaited need of the hour

• Introducing innovative strategy and a new system of health care delivery that is cost effective, humane, people friendly, and responding to the people’s needs

• A cooperative system of health care that is neither governmental nor private, not for profit but owned and managed by the community could be an answer

• To look upon resource allocation for health as an investment rather than an expenditure

• To reassert, redefine and link attainment of health to human development and human rights

• To incorporate health in all important decision making at the highest level

• To modernize and upgrade existing archaic healthcare delivery system so that it is able to
  deliver,

• To incorporate the component of quality in healthcare delivery, accountability, to project the
  human face of medicine

• Review and strengthen health systems management

• Reviewing existing purchase and procurement systems for equipment, drugs, materials, and
  other health care delivery supplies,

• Reviewing and strengthening total health systems management and inculcating TQM- Total Quality Management

• Revising the curricula of medical education to make it more adept to solving existing national
  health problems, - environment and health issues such as air pollution related morbidity

• Privatisation of health services to an extent that it does not promote inequities

• New cost effective and affordable technologies to be available in health sector to all without
  discrimination

• Better planned healthy cities continuously working for health movement

• Well managed urban environment

• Providing & Improving quality of primary, secondary and tertiary care in ISM & H.

• Drawing up a list of essential drugs in ISM & H and initiating steps to improve their availability at affordable cost to everyone.

• Completion of pharmacopoea of all systems of ISM & H medicines

• Educational improvement for ISM & H

• Separate entrance examinations for ISM & H

• Preparation of standard text books on various subjects in ISM & H

• Providing knowledge in Sanskrit/Urdu/Arabic in ISM

• Facility for practical work in ISM to be strengthened

• Preserving and promoting cultivation and utilization of medicinal herbs and plants through “herbal revolution”

• Providing complimentary system of health care to patients in the hospitals

• Ensuring adequate budgetary allocation for ISM & H system.

• The colleges of ISM & H should be involved in the national and state health care programmes by incorporating appropriate changes in their structure, mandate and programmes

• Centres of excellence in Ayurveda, Unani should be developed to provide health care to the people of the country and health tourists coming from abroad.

• Swasth Bharat-Samarth Bharat is only possible through the Swadeshi approach to development and ensuring that this sector is not controlled by the joint multinational corporations of the allopathic drugs and hospital industry.

• Our Bharatiya systems of health care shall be the main stay of our health care system and therefore their infrastructure shall be proportionately strengthened to be at par with that of Western allopathic system in next five years.

• Wherever some space is available in or around our health care institutions, the practitioners of ISM should be encouraged to set up herbal gardens not only for educating people to identify and use medicinal plants but also use fresh medicinal plant preparations in their practice.

• The Health care Education should not only be restricted to the present day practices of allopathy, instead emphasis should be on ‘Swasth Vritta’ Dinacharya and Rituchary related knowledge in as much as it can be related to present day life-style, such IEC(information, education & communication) literature should be prepared in regional languages

STRENGTHEN & PROPAGATE THROUGH ALL CHANNELS INDIAN WAY OF LIFE
WHICH HOLDS THE KEY

• Harmony with nature

• Moderation in life

• Self discipline of body, mind and soul

• AAHAR, NIDRA, BRAHMCHARYA deserve emphasis

• Promote Positive Health Attitude

• Be a Vegetarian

• Abstain from Alcohol

• Abstain from Tobacco

• Control over Desires

• Observe Celibacy

• Ability to Forgive

• Cleanliness of Body and Soul

• Unity of Spirit with God through Yoga

To conclude: A holistic vision of health incorporating the ancient Indian wisdom with focus on
spirituality is the need of the hour