A new clinic has opened its doors in Triolet to promote an integrated approach to medicine and deal with chronic diseases, a direct consequence of  hectic lifestyles and poor health habits adopted during the last few decades.

"Heart disease, gastric ulcers, infertility, sexual problems, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, osteoporosis, neck and back pain are just a few of the ailments from which an increasing number of Mauritians currently suffer," said Dr Anil Patil, MBBS, MD in Medicine from Bombay, India.

 He adds: "After years of research in allopathy and witnessing the failure of modern medicine to treat chronic ailments, I have come to the conclusion that it would be interesting to use thousands year old medical methods such as Ayurveda, naturopathy, acupuncture, acupressure as an attempt to solve the shortcomings of modern medicine."

He says the Ved Holistic Care Centre Ayurvedic clinic in Triolet, will promote traditional oriental medical techniques, also known as Pancha Karma, five cleansing and rejuvenation processes of Ayurveda - the aim being to clean the body of toxins, which create diseases and cancers.

"The five procedures of the Pancha Karma are Vaman - oral route cleansing, Virechan- Anal route cleansing process, Basti - therapeutic instillation of ayurvedic herbal extracts of oil through the anal route, Nasya - Instillation of oil through the nasal route,and the Rakta Mokshan - based on therapeutic blood letting," says Dr Patil.

The purpose of using drugless techniques is to return to the traditional treatments of acupressure, acupuncture, yoga and naturo-therapy. "We undergo a complete medical evaluation of any patient coming to the clinic, prescribing lifestyle and dietary changes. We can combat, control and cure the majority of chronic diseases which modern medicine finds difficult to cure, attacking the problems at their very root. Exercise, yoga, diet changes are all part of the programmes we prescribe as health is an overall state of the person, mental as well as physical wellness."

There are currently eight Indian and Mauritian professionals working at the clinic. The hospital  is the first of its kind in Mauritius and will be part of a 15 clinic and 2 hospital network spread throughout India, Dr Patil says.