Today, covers for alternative therapies can be availed at 68 accredited hospitals, provided they are combined with modern medicine and are under strict supervision
Back in 2006, Naresh Trehan, Chairman Medanta, thought of a novel approach to clinical treatment, by introducing integrative medicine in his yet to be set up hospital. He believed alternative systems of medicine had a significant place in treating patients. By bringing together Ayurveda and yoga along with homoeopathy, Unani and Siddha, it was possible to offer holistic medical solutions that would work together.
G Geetha Krishnan, a senior ayurvedic practitioner joined his company, Global Health Private Limited, even before Medanta the Medicity was set up. The idea behind integrative medicine is to combine modern and traditional therapeutic practices to give the patient holistic wellness. “It was not just about offering patients a choice of treatment, or setting up of a shop within a shop. The effort was to offer a complete wellness solution with the combination of different systems of medicines after clinical studies and creating proof of concept.”
In 2014, the Ministry of Ayush came up with a concrete plan to encourage alternative medicine such as Ayurveda, Unani and homoeopathy. Besides regularising the curriculum, the ministry encouraged clinical studies and brought in transparency and accurate calibration to bring these systems into the mainstream. At the same time, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH) was roped in to bring in quality standards for hospitals offering Ayurvedic treatment. This was an effort to separate the thousands of Ayurvedic Spas and wellness centres from hospitals, which offered treatment for disease. There are 68 such accredited hospitals and centres listed on the Ayush site so far.
Similarly, Insurance companies were urged to cover the cost of treatment if the patient wanted to try the alternative treatment route.
Constant presentations and lobbying by Ayurvedic drug makers and industry bodies like CII and Ficci, and representations to the Insurance regulatory Authority of India (Irdai) led to the ministry of Ayush coming out with guidelines for insurers to start offering coverage in 2014. Fifteen insurance companies are listed with the ministry of Ayush and cover treatments given under Ayurveda.
An indicative list of pricing for 97 treatments has been created with the participation of public and private health insurers. These therapies have accepted protocols and lines of treatment that have been mapped out and accepted.
”It is a good start but it is still work in progress,” Says Krishnan. He believes if Insurance companies actively promoted policies incorporating alternative treatment, there would be more takers. However health insurance is not compulsory, and most patients are first-time buyers of protection who do not pay attention to what are they buying.
Although there is no standalone cover for Ayurveda, the cover is part of a standard insurance policy. New India assurance offers coverage up to 25 per cent of the sum assured while private insurers such as Chola offer 7.5 per cent of sum insured with 20 per cent co-payment. Tata AIG offers around Rs 20,000 if sum insured is 5 lakh, while HDFC Ergo health suraksha pays for in-patient treatment, Star health offers up to a maximum of 25 per cent of the sum insured and Apollo Munich covers all costs with a cap of Rs 50,000. The treatment is cashless. Policy holders, however, have to read the fine print.
Till now, Ayurveda has mostly been in the realm of wellness treatments and spas. That is definitely not something insurance companies would want to cover. But though coverage is limited, Ayurveda practitioners are happy that a beginning has been made.
“For lifestyle diseases like pre diabetes, Ayurveda has treatments that work,” Says Kavita Sharma, an independent Ayurveda doctor. The treatment includes herbal medication as well as in-patient procedures such as massages, purgation and steam. However these treatments can only be undertaken under the strict supervision of a qualified doctor. Laxmi Sharma, 51, was a borderline diabetic. She kept a close eye on her Hb2ic, and as her values started changing, she decided to opt for alternative treatment. She undertook a 15-day regime of outpatient treatment, and an aggressive detox which led to reversal of diabetes. Now, she monitors her blood sugar monthly and continues to take the Hb2ic every three months. Kamal Dhingra found himself with depleted lung capacity. An x-ray revealed a patch on his lung which his doctor said could be managed but not reversed. Extremely health conscious, he certainly did want to remain on medication for the rest of his life. Referral to a doctor in Mohali led him to seek treatment. A year later, x-rays revealed that the patch was gone and his lung fully healed.
Traditional medicine goes back 3,000 years but has little in terms of scientific studies and clinical proof as demanded by modern medicine. The approach of an ayurvedic doctor is different from that of an allopathic practioner. The latter treats symptoms, while the former looks at the root cause and the medicines prescribed are different for each patient. Since traditional medicines are herb based and personalised with dose iteration done to suit each person, it is not possible to have large studies, therefore the system has been regarded as unscientific. “A heart attack or a stroke can be managed immediately by surgery. Traditional medicine, on the other hand, will manage the after-effects of a stroke or a surgery, including neuralgia (pain in the scars left by surgery) effectively,” says Krishnan, who is currently on deputation at the World Health Organization in Geneva as technical expert. He claims even Parkinson has a solution in Ayurveda.
Back to the basics: Major hospitals show the way
Medanta did not offer ayurvedic treatment as a shop within a shop to begin with. A number of clinical trials and studies were undertaken by Medanta’s ayurvedic centre under Krishnan, along with doctors and surgeons of modern medicine. A study of 290 patients who suffered strokes and responded to ayurvedic treatment was done. In another study, patients who suffered a severe restriction to bowel movement after open heart surgery were given ayurvedic medicine which helped tremendously. Similarly, 90 patients who were admitted for dengue with chances of complication were put on Ayurveda treatment and none but one developed complications. “Once clinical studies demonstrated the efficacy of the treatment, it was adopted as a clinical protocol,” says Dr Pooja Sharma, head of research at Medanta.
The patients were offered alternative therapy with the doctor in western medicine participating in the treatment. “We were skeptical of the medicines and treatments to begin with, but when we got the outcomes, it was a different story,” Says Sharma.
The coming together of two systems of medicine would have been great for integrative medicine but failing to find a replacement for Krishnan, Medanta entered into an agreement with Ayurvaid, a Bengaluru-based hospital that focuses largely on limited wellness therapies.
Just last month, Kochi-based Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) inaugurated its centre for integrated medicine.
Traditional medicine is now moving towards providing scientific evidence as well, through clinical trials and double blind studies.
Chinese, Tibetan, Unani, Brazilian, Korean, Japanese, African and European forms of traditional medicine have existed for years. Homoeopathy and Ayurveda are fairly established and accepted traditional therapies. Besides light, flower and colour therapies are also being used. The US, however, has many business-driven courses that are also being offered. As we move away from the limited answers that western medicine provides, people are choosing alternative medicine to address their health needs. The World Health Organization is trying to work with countries to work out a framework for practicing alternative medicine, which includes, among other things, defining a curriculum, standardising manufacturing of drugs, and establishing clinical protocols.
Source / read more : https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/ayurveda-enters-mainstream-as-insurers-are-willing-to-pay-for-treatment-119050100248_1.html
0 Comments