Want to start Diploma courses in Shalya, Prasuti and Panchkarma: Principal RAC Varanasi

Shiksha spoke to Principal of Government Post Graduate Ayurveda University and Hospital Varanasi Neelam Gupta. Read here to know more.

Q: What are the career options available after doing BAMS and MD Ayurveda from Government Postgraduate Ayurveda College and Hospital?

A: At our institute we offer BAMS, MD Ayurveda, and MS Ayurveda courses. In BAMS, there are 75 seats and six subjects of postgraduation, including post graduate courses in Panchakarma, Shalyatantra, Rog Nidan, Prasuti -Stri Roga, Rasa Shastra, and basic principles. 

After doing BAMS, the students become eligible for becoming the Medical Officers, those who works at the CSD and Ayurvedic dispensaries and they can also go for teaching. Also, after doing PG courses, they become eligible for Medical Officers and they can teach the subjects they have studied in PG, in the meantime while they are not getting government job openings, we have 59 private colleges in the UP, and there are many in the country, and 8 government colleges, where the selection is done by Lok Seva Ayog through written exam and interview but in private colleges, they can immediately join as Lecturer or Assistant Professor after their results get declared. Also, they can join hospitals or do personal practices by opening their own clinics. They can also open Panchkarma centres. They can go for further studies by doing a PhD, and postdoctoral and can also go in research. However, if the students get a job, they mostly can do PhD courses after two years of probation periods. After BAMS, one can do PG Diploma from BHU for which the candidate must have appeared in the NEET exam.

Q: What are the research areas of your institute?

A: We are researching all the six postgraduation subjects we are offering at the institute including Panchakarma, Shalyatantra, Rog Nidan, Prasuti -Stri Roga, Rasa Shastra, and basic principles. There is a doctor from Kerala, Dr SR Narhari, with whom we have signed an MoU for two years for filaria and elephantiasis, which are non-curable disease, there is no treatment and medicine available for this in the modern medicine, but in Ayurveda, there are many medicines available. Dr SR Narhari is an allopathic doctor, an MD and Dermotologist. 

In Varanasi, there are nearly 900 patients of this disease, he made a module in which Ayurveda, Panchakarma and some allopathic medicines are included for the treatment. This module is helping the patients with 80% relief. In February, we started unofficially, and we are trying that the formal inauguration is done by the Hon'ble Prime Minister, so we are planning to get more patients as it is not a common disease. When 10-15 patients will be added then we will request Prime Minister, Chief Minister and Ayush Minister for a formal inauguration because this is a big research area. In this disease the patient's lifestyle is completely hampered, they are not able to walk properly and even psychologically they get ill. So, we are doing a very good job in this field. We also have well-developed Panchakarmas, and we are doing great research in the Shalyatantra. We also teach our students to make medicines, how we procure medicine and our collaboration with BHU, we also do animal testing to know how to use which medicines. We are also doing research on hypertension and diabetes.

Q: What are your plans and vision to make the college better in terms of education?

A: I have joined on October 18, 2019, as a Professor and then I got promoted as the Principal. Because as I joined in October and from Feb 2020, pandemic started, so though I was planning to do many things, the pandemic created a lot of issues. What I want is to offer more PG subjects other than these 6 subjects. So, the new colleges and hospitals which are opening can get well-trained and qualified ayurvedic practitioners as there is more demand of skilled practitioners post Covid-19. Also, I want to start Diploma courses of one or two years in Shalya, Prasuti and Panchkarma.

Q: How pandemic affected the Government Postgraduate Ayurveda College and Hospital and what are the changes you are observing after two years of the pandemic?

A: During pandemic, we created L1 hospital, and helped the patients with Ayurvedic medicines. We noticed many patients of Cardiac anaemia, Dyspnea after the covid, and patients with uneasyness, even young people are getting cardiac arrests. We are working on that as many steriods were given to people during covid which later the allopathic doctors said that were not the actual treatment of the virus. Instead, in Ayurveda, we worked on making the immunity system stronger. 

Q: WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine has been established in Gujarat to position AYUSH systems across the globe. It is the first and only global outposted Centre (office) for traditional medicine across the globe, how do you see the development?

A: It was a significant step and it was needed. There are so many treatments in Ayurveda but if we want to tell this to the world we need proof, and for how to prove the theories and tell the world in their languages, research is needed. So, this centre will take us to advanced research in Ayurveda to prove the concepts and treatment. This will help us to gain the confidence of people in the Ayurveda treatment and to promote it in the world.

Q: After pandemic, there is a huge demand for skilled Ayurvedic practitioners, how do you see this field now as compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic?

A: Now, common people are more confident of the Ayurveda treatment and it has also increased the quality patients in our hospital. I always say that patients should come to us at the beginning of the disease and not at the later stages only so that they can get better treatment. Earlier we used to get 300 or 400 patients which has now increased to over 700 patients. People are again returning to Ayurveda.

Read more:

• Career options are growing for BAMS, Ayurvedic Doctors: Principal Govt Ayurvedic College, Assam
• Students have multiple opportunities after BAMS: GS Ayurveda Medical College and Hospital Principal