Dr. Savrikar Inaugurated Ayurvedic Dispensary

Meeting of  the SAC

The 31^st meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of the Institute of Post Graduate Teaching & Research in Ayurveda (IPGT & RA) was held on November 09, 2005 at Jamnagar.  It was presided by the Hon'ble Vice Chancellor Dr. S.S. Savrikar and attended by Dr. G.S. Lavekar; Dr. H.R. Goyal; Dr. P. Shankaran Kutty; Dr. K. Raghunathan; Dr. Hirubhai Patel, Dr. Rajesh Kotecha, Prof. R.R. Dwivedi, Dr. Alankruta Dave and Shri R.M. Jhala, Registrar & Member Secretary. The SAC members also discussed about ongoing research projects with the faculty members in each department.

Meeting of Board of Post Graduate Teaching and Research

The 6^th meeting of Board of Post Graduate Teaching and Research presided by the Hon'ble Vice Chancellor Dr. S.S. Savrikar was held on November 14, 2005 at Jamnagar.  Shri Shiv Basant, Jt. Secretary – AYUSH, Ministry of Health & F.W., Government of India; Shri S.R. Rao, Principal Secretary- Health, Government of Gujarat; Dr. S.K. Sharma, Adviser – Ayurveda, Govt. of India; Dr. A.P. Singh, Director –ISM & H, Government of Gujarat; Dr. Rajesh Kotecha, Dr. N.B. Kapopara, Dr. (Mrs) A.R. Dave,  Prof. R.R. Dwivedi and Shri R.M. Jhala, Member Secretary attended the meeting.

Meeting of the Standing Finance Committee

The meeting of the Standing Finance Committee for the I.P.G.T & R.A. chaired by Shri Shiv Basant, Jt. Secretary – AYUSH, Ministry of Health & F.W., Government of India was held on November 14, 2005 at Jamnagar. Shri S.D. Jha, Director- Finance, Ministry of Health & F.W., Government of India; Dr. S.K. Sharma, Adviser- Ayurveda, Government of India; Dr. R.R. Dwivedi, I/c. Director – I.P.G.T & R.A. and Shri R.M. Jhala, Registrar attended the meeting.

Dr. Savrikar Felicitated

Hon'ble Vice Chancellor Dr. S.S. Savrikar inaugurated the one day Seminar on Ayurveda organized by Ayurveda Vyaspeeth a State level organization in Maharashtra, on November 20, 2005 at Ahemadnagar, Maharashtra. Delivering the inaugural address, the Chief Guest Dr. S.S. Savrikar said that lot of efforts are being made for globalizing Ayurveda. But there is a need to pay proper attention on national scene also as survey study has revealed that hardly 6% people preferred the Ayurvedic treatment. Serious efforts are needed to be made so that Ayurvedic services are reachable to common man, Dr. Savrikar added. On this occasion, Ayurveda Vyaspeeth felicitated the Vice Chancellor Dr. Savrikar and presented a citation and highlighted his significant contribution in promoting and propagating the cause of Ayurveda in various capacities. Other personalities felicitated include: Vd. H.S. Kasture, Ex. Director- ISM &H, Gujarat and an eminent Ayurvedic Physician Vd. P.Y. Vaidya (Khadiwale).  Dr. R.M. Mashelkar, Director-CSIR and Shri R.M. Gupta, Chaukhamba Prakashan were also felicitated in absentia.  Ayurveda Vyaspeeth is an organization devoted to propagation of Ayurveda, regularly organizes seminar and workshops related to teaching, research and practice of Ayurveda. About 2000 Ayurvedic doctors and scholars had attended the seminar. Dr. Savrikar also visited National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune University and C-DAC on November 21, 2005.

Dr. Savrikar inaugurated Designated Microscopy Centre for T.B.

Hon'ble Vice Chancellor Dr. S.S. Savrikar inaugurated the Designated Microscopy Centre for Tuberculosis at I.P.G.T & R.A. on October 6, 2005. On this occasion Dr. Savrikar said that there was a proposal for Centre for Tuberculosis and Malaria. It is praiseworthy that by the establishment of T.B. Centre, the postgraduate institute has become part of the National Health Programme. The CCRAS and ICMR have developed Ayurvedic Kit for Mother & Child Health Care Programme. Ayurveda is part of the society, therefore, it is to be integrated with the National Health Programme, Dr. Savrikar said. The Vice Chancellor said that Ayurvedic drugs are also given as adjuvant therapy and helpful in reducing the dose and toxicity of the modern drug therapy. Lot of work has been done on Pippali and Piperine has been reported as bio-enhancer. Dr. Savrikar said that Ph.D. level research work on tuberculosis is going on in the institute and by the establishment of this Centre, the work will be authenticated. The follow up of the patient should be maintained. He thanked the District T.B. Officer for extending help in establishing this Centre at I.P.G.T & R.A..  More Centers will be developed on similar line to contribute significantly in national health programme, Dr. Savrikar concluded. 

Chief District Health Officer, Jamnagar Dr. K.L. Patel discussed the growing incidence of Tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS in the society and the role of practitioners in detection of these patients. He suggested that postgraduate students should practically do sputum examination on microscope and get the guidelines for treatment. Dr. Patel also discussed the synergetic action of modern drug and indigenous drugs in the management of Tuberculosis. The District T.B. Officer Dr. S.K. Modh said that T.B. is a global burden. He said that Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore are internationally recognized centre. Dr. Modh was of the opinion that Ayurvedic OPDs should refer cases to T.B. Hospital. The I.P.G.T & R.A. Hospital is the first Ayurvedic centre involved in such programme. The Institute’s Pathology Lab. will do the investigation and cent percent treatment will be provided to such cases. Dr. Modh thanked the Vice Chancellor to offer I.P.G.T & R.A. as a centre in National Health Programme which will be helpful in achieving the objective that none of the patients of T.B. remain undetected. Dr. Bhattacharya, Associate Professor –Medicine, M.P. Shah Medical College, Jamnagar and Prof. R.R. Dwivedi, I/c. Director- I.P.G.T & R.A. also graced the occasion. Dr. D.G. Pancholi, RMO, I.P.G.T & R.A. Hospital proposed vote of thanks.

Introductory Course for foreigners

Three month Introductory Course in Ayurveda exclusively designed for foreigners has been started w.e.f. November 7, 2005 at I.P.G.T & R.A.. The scholars admitted includes: Ms. Maria Fatima M (Brazil), Mr. Abdul Gangji (Canada), Ms. Bleuzen Nathalie (France), Ms. Diana Peuker (Germany), Ms. Ashnie Maharaj (South Africa), Ms. Laura Petrillo (Switzerland), Ms. Aruna Sheth (UK), Mr. Ankur Shah & Ms. Myra Romero (both from USA), Ms. May-Britt T. Pedersen (Denmark).

Dr. Savrikar visited Govt. Akhandanand Ayurved College, Ahmedabad

Hon'ble Vice Chancellor Dr. S.S. Savrikar visited P.G. Upgraded Centre, Govt. Akhandanand Ayurveda College at Ahmedabad on November 25, 2005 and had interaction with teachers, undergraduate & postgraduate students to identify the problems being faced by them. The Vice Chancellor briefed them the steps being taken by the University to make reforms in Ayurvedic education and assured them all possible academic help on behalf of the University.

Dr. Savrikar at Vijaywada

During Roundtable of the Vice Chancellor/Directors on Promotion of Research in Institutions of Health Sciences during October 19-21, 2005 at Vijayawada, Hon'ble Vice Chancellor Dr. S.S. Savrikar delivered his talk on Scope and Need of Collaboration of Institutions of Health Sciences in the field of Basic Research in Ayurveda. Dr. Savrikar said that potential of Ayurveda remains unexplored and unattended by modern world. Quoting Albert Einstein, “We owe a lot to the Indians who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile discovery could have been made”, the Vice Chancellor said that it is not denied here that modern scientist don’t do any research in this field rather some are involved in such work but most of their work is related to exploration of a drug that too without understanding the basics of the drug applications in Ayurveda.  Therefore, one needs to acquaint himself in fundamentals of Ayurveda while exploring an Ayurvedic drug.

Discussing the Ayurvedic physiology, Dr. Savrikar said that the application of bio-chemistry, experimental physiology and hematology can play a significant role in the better understanding of the doshas- Vata, Pitta and Kapha which are not physical entities. Ayurveda gives more importance to understand the root cause of disease and doesn’t stop at the invading organism. It tries to understand the conditions given opportunity to the invader and believes that a specific type of behaviour is responsible for creating such an opportunity. Enough scope is available for collaboration for validation of the observations mentioned in Ayurvedic texts. Moreover, drug manufacturing as well pharmacology of Ayurvedic drugs needs to be addressed seriously, Dr. Savrikar said. 

Talking about quality control, standardization and therapeutic efficacy in today’ sense, Dr. Savrikar said that Ayurvedic pharmacy needs designers of equipments, chemists, botanists, pharmacognosists, etc.  Talking about Ayurvedic pharmacology Dr. Savrikar opined that concept of Rasa, Guna, Veerya, Vipak and Prabhav has to be understood. In this reference he presented scientific observations related to phyto-pharmacological investigations on Guduchi Ghrita, Panchatikta Ghrita, Yasti Ghrita, etc with TLC and HPTLC profile. Observation on various immuno-modulator drugs were also presented by Dr. Savrikar with histological studies carried out on various experimental models. Dr. Savrikar concluded with the quotation from Ishavasyaopanishad, “ The face of truth has been covered up by a golden pot. I therefore beseech you. O sun, to kindly uncover it so that I may know what is true and righteous”.

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