Almost all of the above health issues can be addressed through Ayurveda. Treatment of chronic disease like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, spinal disorders, arthritis, asthma, migraine, impotency etc play a vital role in Ayurveda. According to Ayurvedic principles, chronic diseases arise out of a wrong way of life. These unhealthy lifestyle choices disturb the balance of 'vata', 'pita' and 'kapha' elements.

According to ayurvedic experts, this branch of medicine can help correct the imbalance of the elements, and thereby free the patient from chronic diseases. Ayurveda is a universal health care system, developed and practiced in India since 1,500 BC. The physicians or ‘rishis’ of yore preserved their findings on treatments for coming generations since 1,500 BC, on palm leaves. Such documents are still preserved for all to see.

Ayurvedic experts say that the Western medical system has failed to offer any effective curative treatment for chronic diseases.

For those who wish to know more about Ayurveda, help is at hand. The website www.ayurveda-portal.com was designed by Joseph Kaduthanam, based at Germany. He can be called the man behind Ayurveda medical tourism. A documentary on Ayurveda treatment broadcasted in Germany in 1988 trigged off a boom in Ayurveda medical tourism to Kerala.

Ayurvedic proponents opine that it is high time the Government of India and the tourism department promote Ayurveda Medical Tourism to villages of India. This could be by offering financial help to Ayurveda doctors to improve facilities in their hospitals and resorts to attract guests from all over the world. This would not only improve employment opportunities in Indian villages, it would also generate more revenue than medical tourism to high-tech hospitals.

The story behind the ayurvedic portal is quite interesting. In 2004, Christina (a 15-year-old German girl), who had collapsed in her school was put on wheel chair for five months. As she got no medical help from German doctors, her father approached Joseph Kaduthanam who was known as an Ayurveda tour operator in Germany to inquire about Ayurveda treatment. After a week’s search, Kaduthanam could suggest an Ayurveda doctor in a remote village in Kerala. After studying the case history Dr Sreekrishna from Nelluvai, Trichur agreed to treat her. After one week of treatment, the girl got control over her legs and started walking. After four weeks of treatment, she went back to Germany leaving her wheel chair in the hospital. Dr Sreekrishnma explained she had a viral attack in her stomach, which had attacked her nervous systems laming her legs.

Coming back to Germany, Udo Wirz, the father of the girl asked Kaduthanam to create a software method to give access to such an efficient treatment system for the outside world. This prompted him to develop a software and release the Ayurveda portal online. The website provides the following functions:
· Consultation facilities with specialized panel of doctors.
· Education on Ayurveda: its history, principles—vata, pita kapha theory.
· Various treatment methods and herbal plants used.
· Search facility on Ayurveda hospitals, resorts.
· Online instant booking and payment gateway facilities.
· Global Ayurveda directory.

This portal is linked to more than 1,500 travel agents and 2,000 yoga centers, to promote Ayurveda medical tourism to India. It gives links to more than 3,000 organic bio-shops worldwide, so that patients after an Ayurveda treatment can continue their diet.

On July 29, 2007, the Ayurveda Hospital Management Association honored Joseph Kaduthanam as the brand ambassador of Ayurveda, a title he so deserves.

Source-Medindia
ANN/C