Did you know that people in Nepal do not greet one another with a handshake,but rather put their palms together and bow their forehead and say Namaste (meaning I salute the God in you). So awesome right?! And guess what else???? Its also the birthplace of the Lord Buddha, Lumbini and a pilgrimage for many devout Buddhist. And their flag represents the two major religions Hinduism and Buddhism as well as symbolize the Himalayan mountains. But any-who just a little quid pro quo before I dive in the dense healthcare system of Nepal.
So I did a little digging and found that its quite normal to incorporate herbal medicine along with western medicine. The Nepalese people use both interchangeably, consequently its starting to take its toll on the people as well as the community. Based on this article [Modern Desires, Knowledge Control, and Physician
Resistance: Regulating Ayurvedic Medicine in Nepal] it is suggesting that one may practice is better than the other. Within the Nepalese culture one is assumed to acquire the knowledge of herbal medicine because plant life is intertwined with ones everyday routine.
" Nepal’s ethnic and caste diversity belies remarkably similar relationships people have to plant life economically, ritually, and medically. Skilled artisans craft tools from wood, weave baskets from bamboo, and fire clay pots under mounds of smoldering rice and wheat stalks. Farming families grow crops for subsistence and selectively cut branches of trees and shrubs for fuel and fodder for their domesticated animals. Hindu deities are embodied in various plants, and plants of many kinds are important ritual elements for Hindus and Buddhists alike. In their lifetimes, people develop deep knowledge of the plants that comprise their environment and they apply that knowledge in everyday life. When the daily routine is disrupted by illness, people again seek the plants. They carefully select and pick the roots, leaves, stems, flowers, bark, and seeds of familiar medicinal plants, jadibuti, (literally ‘protective entities from roots’) to cure a wide range of illnesses. Hindu and Tibetan based traditional medical systems, Ayurveda and Amchi respectively, both use medicinal plants to treat illness and, in the case of Ayurveda, to restore health by rebalancing the body’s humors."
Now one side of the argument is stating that Ayurveda is traditional concept and should be left alone, especially considering that country isn't recognizing all Ayurveda has to offer . Kind of emphasizing that saying '' don't fix something that isn't broken" however, the rebuttal to that is morality rates. No one is stating that the practice is bad but simply needs to be upgraded, because considering the MDG's (Millennium Development Goals) Nepal wants their morbidity rates lower for women and children, in addition to decreasing disease prevalence. What the government is recommending according to the article is bio medical medicine and technology...... Thusly I ask what is one to believe or trust in???
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