Washington DC:
Observing that India has always contributed to global health and wellness, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that yoga has become an integral part of the lifestyle globally and the world was also increasingly adopting Ayurveda. Modi made the comments while addressing a virtual meeting of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) on Saturday.
“India has always contributed to global health and wellness. It continues to do so. Yoga today globally has become an integral part of one’s lifestyle. Similarly, the world is fast adopting Ayurveda,” Modi said. According to a number of modern scientific researches, Ayurveda and other alternative systems of treatment from India are “immunity boosters and natural healers,” he said.
Referring to a recent report, the prime minister said that there has been a sudden increase in the import of turmeric in the US and Europe. Health, by most countries in the world, is seen as “freedom from illness,” he said. But India believes in the concept of wellness. Nearly 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres are under construction in villages across the country.
In addition to spreading yoga, Ayurveda and wellness, “Fit India” has become a mass movement in the country, he said. There has been substantial decline in some of the major diseases due to the Clean India mission and construction of toilets under this. Free gas connection to more than eight crore poor women have helped in addressing the issue of respiratory diseases among them.
Modi also urged the Indian-origin doctors to participate in India’s growth story. India today is working on mission mode towards manufacturing of medicines and medical equipment, he said and invited them to join this effort. The government, he said, is working to take telemedicine to every village of the country. The Indian-origin doctors can play an important role in this, Modi said.
In his recent address during the International Yoga Day celebrations on June 21, India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu said that yoga is a unifying force, true to its literal meaning. “People all around the world, transcending nationalities and cultures, have recognised the immense benefits of Yoga. They have made it a part of their everyday lives,” Sandhu said.
