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Workshop on Wellness Tourism and Release of Accreditation Standards for Wellness Centers

February 15th, 2011
Ministry of Tourism is organizing an All India workshop on promotion of Wellness Tourism in Delhi tomorrow.

This workshop is being organized with the active participation of Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Services (NABH). The event is being organized to define the areas of development in the wellness industry and strategize with the help of the industry for defining the road map for the government for next few years.

Union Minister of Tourism Shri Subodh Kant Sahay will inaugurate the workshop and Shri Sultan Ahmed Minister of State for Tourism would be the Guest of Honour. They will also release the Accreditation Standards for Wellness Centers on the occasion. These Standards have been prepared by NABH and are already approved by the Department of AYUSH.

Over 150 participants representing the captains of the wellness industry have been invited to the workshop and to deliberate on the issues concerning Ayurveda wellness Centers, Spas, Skincare Centers, Cosmetic Care Centers, Gymnasiums, Fitness Centers, preventive health care Centers, yoga centers etc. The objective of this workshop is to evolve a road map for formulating strategies for development and promotion of wellness tourism to position India as the leading destination for wellness tourism, incorporating the country’s natural attributes like Yoga, Ayurveda, Siddha, well developed Spas etc., increase visitation, length of stay and expenditure by wellness visitors and increased professionalism and excellence amongst those delivering wellness experience.

The participants have been divided into four groups to deliberate on the four topics namely; Accreditation and Way ahead, Capacity Building and Training of wellness professionals, Promotion of different components of wellness and Promotion of wellness tourism in India and abroad.

After deliberations, each group is expected to give Five to Six recommendations which would be then further shared with the entire participants for further deliberations. Thus finally five recommendations under each area would be presented to Ministry of Tourism as the road map for further development of the industry.

Accreditation Standards for Wellness Centers provide framework for quality of care for customers and quality improvement for Wellness Centers. The standards help to build a quality culture at all level and across all the functions of Wellness Centre. NABH Standards has ten chapters incorporating 84 standards and 396 objective elements. Accreditation Standards for Wellness Centers contains complete set of standards for evaluation of Wellness Centers for grant of accreditation. The standards focus on all aspects of service delivery like customer rights and education, infection control practices, trained and experienced staff, infrastructure, environment safety, processes and controls and statutory and regulatory compliances.

India, as the world knows, is a Wellness destination. The potential of wellness systems, developed through centuries of wisdom of this ancient civilization would be fully tapped. This is being done by positioning India as a centre of Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha, Naturopathy, etc. together with the spiritual philosophy that has been integral to the Indian way of life. The Ministry of Tourism has highlighted wellness in a big way through publicity and promotional activities.

The quality of service involved with tourism plays an important role in the process of delivery. Service quality is an intangible, but crucial, area of interest to travel service providers. Accreditation Standards for Wellness Centers provide framework for quality of care for customers and quality improvement for Wellness Centers.

The growth of Tourism in the country and also demand for wellness centers has led to sudden surge in the Wellness centers across the country. Mushrooming of wellness centers in country has therefore given rise to the concern for quality service and standards to be followed by these centers. Therefore there was a need to have a system of accreditation in place that would be uniform nationwide and this has been fulfilled by NABH/ AYUSH coming up with these guidelines. The Ministry of Tourism has also extended its Market Development Assistance (MDA) scheme to wellness tourism service providers including accredited wellness centers. Presently the wellness centers accredited by State Tourism Departments are also eligible for the MDA. After the accreditation guideless of NABH is in place all wellness centers seeking MDA would be asked to be as close to the accredition guidelines of NABH as possible .The Initiative of accreditation of wellness centre by NABH and AYUSH has been greatly driven be the Ministry of Tourism through a series of meeting with the Wellness Tourism service Providers, State Governments and other Stakeholders.

Availability of skilled manpower is a major challenge faced by the travel and tourism industry in India today. This shortage extends to the Wellness Sector also. There is no defined curriculum for training of therapist in the wellness centers. The wellness industry has no alternative but to fill the void with untrained resources. Such a high proportion of untrained manpower would adversely affect quality of services offered to the tourists. Attrition, shortage of wellness therapist training infrastructure, qualified trainers, and lack of proper strategies and policies for human resource development will have an effect on the industry. The industry needs to address these problems at the earliest .This workshop would address the training needs of wellness sector.

The Ministry is developing Haridwar- Rishikesh as well as Puducherry as Wellness Centers, to give visitors a complete experience which is physically healing, spiritually enriching and mentally rejuvenating.

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Free Yoga Camp organized by Kokrajhar Patanjali Yoga Samity

February 12th, 2011
A free Yoga camp was held yesterday at Bodofa Nwgwr in Kokrajhar. The camp organized by Kokrajhar Patanjali Yoga Samity in connection with the  Bharat Swabhiman Yatra of Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev. Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev displayed various yogasanas before the mass gathering such as Pavan-Muktasana, kandharasana, padangustha-sparsasana, Dirgha naukasana, prastha-tanasana, padmasana, Baddha-padmasana,Yoga Mudrasana, Matsysana, Vajrasana, Supta-Vajrasana, Mandukasana, Kurmasana, Pascimottanasana, and Vakrasana Makrasana among others.
In his speech, Swami Ramdev talked about how the majority of Indians are unable to avail allopathic treatment and only 35% of the population are getting treated for their illnesses with modern medications. He told that the Patanjali Yoga Samiti is working towards showcasing Swadeshi among people and enlighten people about Ayurvedic treatment and added that they are providing people with good health by introducing them to Yoga, Ayurveda, Acupressure and other natural healing methods that are of Indian origin.

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The Chopra Foundation Hosts High-Profile “Sages and Scientists Symposium” to Support Humanitarian Causes

February 9th, 2011
Created as a dynamic forum for the world’s most innovative thinkers and doers, the Sages and Scientists Symposium will take place this February 25-27 at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, CA.

“The Chopra Foundation created the Sages and Scientists event to support the foundation’s mission of improving the sustainability, health, and wellbeing of the planet and all the members of the human family,” said Chopra Foundation founder Dr. Deepak Chopra.”We’re at a precarious time in human history, and by bringing together the best minds in a broad range of fields and expertise, we’re creating a fertile ground for the birth of new ideas, collaborations, and a more compassionate society. At the Sages and Scientists Symposium, we’ll be addressing some of the most urgent questions about the future of our planetary and human evolution,” Dr. Chopra said.

The Sages and Scientists Symposium is sponsored by many individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations that strongly support the Chopra Foundation’s goals of global health, awareness, and peace. Sponsors include Roy International Children’s Foundation, Visualmd.com, Icebreaker, Mind the Gap Trust, GreenMonsterPromos.com, MHR International, Lisa and Charly Kleisner, the Walker Family Foundation, Puregrowthpartners.com, Wild Divine Inc., Paradise Valley Wellness Centre, Hay House publishers, and the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.

Kyle Widner, President and CEO of Wild Divine, Inc., said, “Our company’s primary mission is to introduce the global community to the power of the mind power experience. The Chopra Foundation, specifically the Sages and Scientists Symposium aligns with our desire to expand the common human experience. We wholeheartedly support their work and are proud to be associated with Sages and Scientists.”

The proceeds from the event will support the Chopra Foundation in its various projects throughout the world, which include helping at-risk children; providing comprehensive pre-natal support to low income women and teenagers; educating healers about the powerful resources of Ayurveda, mind-body healing practices, and spirituality; offering educational scholarships; and initiating scientific research into mind-body health practices.

Over the three days of engaging conversation, the Symposium will be moderated by luminaries Deepak Chopra, Peter Guber, Ian Somerhalder, and Russell Simmons.

For a complete listing of all guest speakers and the topics they will be discussing at Sages and Scientists, please visit http://deepakchopra.com/chopra-foundation/sagesscientists/symposium-2011/

Full and partial scholarships are available for educators and students to attend Sages and Scientists.

Please email foundation@chopra.com to request more information.

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Sathsya Sanjeevini, book on medicinal plants released

February 9th, 2011
Sathsya Sanjeevini, a book of medicinal plants was released in Moodbidri recently. The book is authored by Shailesh M D of Moodbidri. The book release programme was organized as a joint effort of Alva’s Education Trust and Jain High School.

Dr. Mohan Alva inaugurated the programme and appreciated the efforts that have gone into the writing of the book and U.K. Kumarnath, the resident editor of Vijaya Karnataka also spoke on the occasion. Dr Hansaraj Alva, Vinaya Hospital, Mangalore and Dr Ravish Tunga jointly released the book. Former minister K Amarnath Shetty presided over the programme and felicitated the author. Retired principal of Muniyal Ayurveda College Ramesh Harvalkar, M Narayana Devadiga, and Rathnakar Devadiga, were present. Gajanana R Upadhyaya welcomed the gathering. Shubha Sahana delivered the vote of thanks and Muniraj Renjala compered the programme. Various competitions were held on the occasion. ‘Kutumba’, a drama directed by Vijaykumar Kodialbail, was staged as part of the entertainment programme.

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Magnificent Madurai- a three day festival

January 26th, 2011

India is a country of varied heritage. Amongst the diversity Madurai is a city known for its richness in its history of art, traditions and so on. To commemorate this, a three day festival has been organized starting 28th of January.

The organizers of this event, christened Madurai Vizha – Magnificent Madurai, which is a first of its kind in the city, are the CII and the Travel Club of Madurai. The major purpose behind this event was to create awareness amongst the locals as well as the other people about the town’s cultural significance and showcase the city’s culture, art, diversity and beauty and also to promote tourism. The festival will include traditional dances, folk music, games, arts, crafts and a look into healthcare through the alternative forms of medicine such as Ayurveda, Siddha and the likes.

A lot of festive attractions including terracotta, wood carving, mat making, basket weaving, culinary experts and artisans, portrait sketching, and other competitions like cooking, kolam drawing, hair dressing, essay writing and quiz etc have been included for the crowd. Display of antique jewellery, photographs, movie screenings, hand printed textiles, ethnic designs, literature and photos depicting Madurai’s history along with the story of Mahatma Gandhi, and the availability of the traditional food in the food court add to the festivities. Shopping is another added attraction.

The event will be inaugurated by Collector C. Kamraj and will follow up with folk performances, report presentation on the tourism potential of the city and also the launch of a tourism website. The programmes include a short presentation and interactive session on traditional arts and creativity by Dr. Srinidhi Chidambaram, Chitrai Thiruvizha presentation by Mahatma School, Heritage talk on Madurai by Manohar Devadoss, screening of the film “Gandhi” and narration of stories by senior citizens.

The festivities begin at 9:30 A.M and will last till 9:30 in the evening. The entrance fee will be Rs. 10 for adults but entry is free for children and students.

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Shahnaz Hussain’s thoughts on herbal medicine

January 18th, 2011

Shahnaz Hussain, the Chairman of ASSOCHAM National Council of Ayurveda expressed her views on the present scenario of the state of medicinal and aromatic plants and spices and told that there is a dire necessity to improve the capacity of existing organizations and also to develop business based approaches for input delivery, extension, marketing, processing certification and value added related activities.

During the inaugural ceremony of the 3rd ASSOCHAM Herbal International Summit in Delhi on the 17th of January, she said that though people opt for natural and herbal products for various purposes, the herbal sector is still not able to make optimum usage of the available resources and opportunities.

She also expressed her aspiration to enlighten the mass about herbal medicines and Ayurveda, Unani and other herbal solutions to the westerners who are suffering from devastating side effects of allopathic medicine and wished to see India lead the world in the alternate medicine sector. She added that the westerners would not be favouring India but would be doing themselves a favour by changing their lifestyle and depending on herbal medications rather than allopathic.

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Rejuvinating Ayurveda- An International Conference

December 18th, 2010

An International Conference called “Rejuvenating Ayurveda-The classical Vedic skills of healthcare for global health challenges in 21st century” has been organized at the Eternal University Baru Sahib which was also a joint venture of Ayurveda Vishaw Parishad. It is a three day conference which included renowned people namely Virender Kashyap (MP), Jagatguru Swami Avdesha Acharyaji, Braham Rishi Jelaeshweranandji, and renowned Scientist Nk Chauhan. Padma Bhushan Dr Khem Singh Gill with Baba Iqbal Singhji, Chancellor Eternal University and Dr MS Atwal Vice Chancellor Eternal University

The emphasis of the conference was health and Ayurveda and its importance. Virender Kashyap spoke on the occasion and appreciated the efforts of the Eternal University for organizing the conference and said that this would further popularize Ayurveda and also help in the development and research in the field. Baba Iqbal Singhji also stressed upon the need to bring up the use of traditional medicines such as Ayurveda which has been an integral part of our rich heritage and culture.

The conference is to be held for 3 days where experts in the field will also be presenting research papers.

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Workshop on the new Ayush guidelines in January

December 11th, 2010

The Ayush department has introduced new quality and certification guidelines to be followed by its member units and a workshop will be conducted by the Tamil Nadu Ayurvedic, Siddha, Unani Drug Manufacturers Association (TASUDMA) in January to train the members of the department about the same. Amongsta the resource persons, top officials from Ayush, state official drug control officials and experts from ADMA and ISM industry will be invited as stated by Dr. Vijay A. Mehta, the president of TASUDMA.

The newly introduced guidelines are to ensure high quality products that are manufactured as per the ISM and Homeopathy. The companies selling products within the country should obtain certification from the Ayush Standard Mark and those products that will be exported should obtain Ayush Premium Mark. The manufacturing units will be provided with licenses only after the new rules are met.

The workshop will include representatives from 78 manufacturing units and non members can also attend the workshop to gain knowledge about the protocols. The workshop will give the participants awareness about all the technical problems. TASUDMA has already conducted 2 other seminars and 12 meetings over the last two years wherein 22 tachnical staff were trained in quality control aspects.

Dr T Thirunarayanan, technical advisor to TASUDMA stated that the participants will be given training on GMP, GLP and GCP by experts from the field. Classes on new product development, marketing skills development, new guidelines for clinical trials, screening and validation of traditional medicines as per WHO protocols and identification of raw materials are necessary for the technical staffs of the big and small units and they have to be updated with them.

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Yeddyurappa working towards popularizing Ayurveda

December 11th, 2010

The world Ayurveda Congress has got our Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa promoting Ayurveda as a community medicine system and also introducing a pharma and a university in the city. In his inaugural address he stated that the Government has already taken steps in the promotion, study and practice of Ayurveda in the healthcare systems. He also mentioned that the Government has sanctioned Rs. Ten Crore to set up All India Medical Institute of Ayush with the help of the Centre for promoting of complementary and alternative system of medicine in the state.

He said that Ayurveda will not only be popularized globally by setting up international standards but will also be aimed at the working class. The aim of the Congress organized by the Union Health Ministry along with the State Government is to spread awareness about the Ayurvedic system of medicine not only in our cointry but also internationally.

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Indo-US Ayurveda Convention

December 9th, 2010

An Indo-USA convention of two days on “Methodology of Research in Indian Systems of Medicine” was inaugurated on Wednesday. It was intended to mainly focus on the globalization and validation of Ayurvedic medicines, Unani and Siddha in the market. The evaluation of these medicines was stressed upon so as to increase its reliability in the global market. A platform to increase the popularity of these medicines was also another intention. The convention was organized by the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), Centre for Research in Indian Systems of Medicine (CRISM) and Department of Ayurveda, Yoga& Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy.

Prof Ikhlas A. Khan, the director of the FDA programme at the University of Mississippi and Centre for Research in Indian Systems of Medicines (CRISM) stated that it was very important to employ efficient strategies to introduce traditional medicines in the global market and that it required the backing of the Government as well. He also mentioned that the CRISM scientists were in the process of developing medicines keeping in mind the international standards and also intended to introduce them in developed nations such as the USA. “Traditional healing has been used for over 1000 years in our country in itself is a testimony of their efficacy and safety. But since there is no documentation of those experiments and methodologies available, there is a need to develop sound scientific methodology of research in these systems, aiming at finding empirical evidence to validate various concepts and strengths,” said Shakir Jamil, director-general, Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM).

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