Bridging ties with Ayurveda treatments

Embedded in the visit by the Government of India, Ministry of Ayush, and Indian High Commission on 28 November 2024 to UTAR Kampar Campus was an effort to bring more Ayurveda treatments to the Perak Community.

The esteemed delegates consisted of Government of India, Ministry of Ayush, Secretary Dr Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha; Director General, CCRAS, Prof Rabinarayan Acharya; Deputy High Commissioner Ms Subhashini Narayanan; First Secretary (Commerce & Education) Mr Vivekanand Thangamuthu Selvaraj; Attaché, High Commission of India Mr P.L. Saini; and Dr Binod Bihari Dora, Ayush Chair in UTAR.

They were welcomed by UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong at UTAR Kampar Campus. The visit included a discussion on potential collaborations in education, research, and Ayurveda treatments, aiming to enhance healthcare services and public welfare. The discussion was held at UTAR Hospital’s Traditional and Complementary (T&CM) Centre.

Present at the discussion were Prof Choong; UTAR Hospital CEO Prof Dr Lau Hui Ping; UTAR Hospital Deputy CEO and COO Dr Ang Kong Hui and Deputy CEO Ms Maria Khong; M. Kandiah Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (MK FMHS) Dean Prof Dr Thong Meow Keong; UTAR Hospital T&CM Centre Director Assoc Prof Dr Te Kian Keong; and UTAR Hospital Principal Ayurveda Practitioner Dr Vaidya Siby Chiramel, along with UTAR and UTAR Hospital staff.

Prof Choong enlightened the delegates with the history and background of UTAR and later highlighted the University’s effort in establishing collaborations with various local and international organisations, industries, and educational institutions. The delegates learnt that to date, UTAR has signed more than 690 memoranda with industry partners and universities from 30 economies.

Prof Thong commended the joint effort to make this visit a reality, and that the visit will be a true example for establishing international collaboration, education and health care. “This is truly an important step in globalising the Ayurveda system and fostering the integration into various modern healthcare systems. Therefore, we are excited to explore the establishment of the India-Malaysia Centre for Ayurvedic Medicine in UTAR during our discussion later. We believe this potential partnership will not only elevate the presence of Ayurveda in Malaysia, but set a fantastic example of how traditional complementary medicine system can bring great impact.”

Next, Dr Te introduced the T&CM Centre and shared some of the successful collaborations conducted. As he explained further on the possible areas of collaboration to integrate Ayurvedic medicine, discussions were made and saw the delegates, UTAR Hospital and UTAR representative considering the positive impacts of the partnership, including enhancing skills and knowledge among staff, ensuring the quality of treatments, expanding scientific research efforts, and even cultivating medicinal plants locally. The guests were also enlightened about the ongoing efforts taken together with T&CM Centre to obtain approval for the Ayurveda medicine programme, as explained by Dr Binod Bihari. Meanwhile, Dr Vaidya Siby enlightened everyone on his roles and responsibilities as the Principal Ayurveda Practitioner at the T&CM Centre and shared his experiences.

Prof Rabinarayan and Ms Subhashini shared their respective thoughts and were hopeful towards the partnership. The engaging discussion concluded with a closing remark by Secretary Dr Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, who mentioned that the areas for collaboration looked promising and noted for all to conduct a follow-up. He also commended that the partnership will highlight the benefits of integrative care, provide a benchmark for research, and boost commerce through the promotion of medical tourism, while benefitting the community continuously.