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INDIA TODAY
8th of August 2005

INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING FEATURE | HEALTH

From the back office, the focus is fast shifting to the operating rooms as India emerges as a global health-care provider.

It's more than a herbal science promising beauty-enhancing benefits. Ayurveda is actually a holistic philosophy for well-being developed over 5,000 years ago by Indian sages - a prescription for living a balanced life - and the concept is fast taking the UK by storm. And the credit for that goes to The Ayurvedic Company of Great Britain (ACGB), nestled behind Oxford Circus, a few hundred yards away from the famous Selfridges, which has pioneered the introduction of Ayurveda, its heritage and benefits into the UK and Europe since 1989.

The ACGB's track record is consistently impressive and over 7,000 people have been successfully treated for a variety of ailments. The main therapy centre is at Wimpole Street where B.A.M.S. doctors who have trained for a minimum of six years, give consultations and dispense ayurvedic medicines and treatments.

"Ayurvedic treatments include full body massages with herbal medicated oils tailored for the individual constitution and Shirodhara, a gentle stream of warmed oil drizzled on the forehead. The doctors also prescribe yoga therapy, herbal medicines and give advice on the right diet for each person's illness and constitution. Ayurveda is a holistic treatment that works with the vital energies of the body to generate strength and balance and sustain an optimum level of health and vitality," says a spokesperson.

In July 2000, the ACGB opened the first Ayurvedic Charitable Hospital outside of India. The Hospital recieved referrals from all over the world and treated a diversity of illnesses ranging from multiple sclerosis and arthritis to digestive disorders, eczema, stress and anxiety.

Next, the ACGB entered the field of education. With a recent association with Manipal University (the Manipal Ayurvedic University of Europe) students in London work towards gaining B.Sc. (Hons) degrees in either ayurveda or yoga. The three-year courses are proving popular and many graduates are now going on to open ACGB franchised therapy centres in the UK and Europe. The company is working towards offering a serious alternative to conventional Western treatment. With a busy clinic in the heart of London's medical district, new centres opening in the UK and Europe, and a thriving academic institution this objective is fast becoming reality.

Taking off on the ayurvedic concept, Neeta's Herbal is keen to offer peace of mind to people suffering from skin and hair loss problems. A pioneer in herbal treatment, Neeta Gosalia of Neeta's Herbal, has been practising herbal treatment for the past 16yrs and owns as many outlets worldwide.

It has become popular with Asians in UK who are flocking to her clinic in North Finchley with the hope of finding a cure to the age-old problems. "Hair loss is a common problem with men as well as women." says Gosalia who incidentally was a victim too. "I was affected by hair loss in my teens and resorted to herbal treatment which worked wonders. It was then that i decided that this treatment would work for others," she adds.

And it certainly has. She has seen clients walk in with utter hopelessness and pessimism but walk out with a whole different attitude. "Client's cooperation is very important. They must possess a healthy attitude." she adds. There are many causes for hair loss. As Neeta explains, "Internal factors like your lifestyle, stress, eating habits, lack of sleep or even an imbalance in your body nutrients could be some of the factors. Then, pollution, bathing water, constant perming, straightening and even dyeing constitute some external factors."

Before she specifies any treatment she is at pains to explain that its important to ascertain the kind of hair the patient has. "Dry hair, for example, would need plenty of nourishment with its roots needing extra oil and feeding. Oily hair on the other hand would require a completely different therapy."

Apart from tress management Gosalia also administers treatment for skin problems such as acne, black heads, white heads, scars, wrinkles, dark circles under the eyes, pigmentation and other common problems.

Her hard work has won her numerous awards including an award for excellence in the service sector by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in 1995. Her future plans include opening branches in every corner of the world so that her herbal remedies can assist people from all walks of life in relieving the stress and tension of falling hair and tackle the problems of skin disorders.

While Gosalia is taking care of vanity, London-based Vitabiotics is gunning for a better life with vitamin pills. One of its products, Immunace, provides 23 nutrients to help support the immune system. This includes a number of antioxidants, which the body can use to control free radicals such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, natural carotenoids and bioflavonoids. It also contains vital minerals, such as zinc and selenium, to assist the body's antioxidant enzymes which eliminate harmful chemicals, like free radicals and peroxides, which would otherwise suppress the immune system.

Immunace, in the short term helps resistance against infection and colds. It also helps replace the Vitamin C lost during colds and flu. In the long term, it increases the body's level of protective substances. This helps maintain the future health of organs such as the heart.

According to the company, exciting results were recently reported in the press surrounding the value of Immunace in one of the world's most worrying diseases - namely AIDS. "It has been reported the world's first randomised placebo controlled trial to show a highly significant clinical benefit in HIV-infected individuals. The International Journal of AIDS reported the study, which was conducted in Thailand and monitored by the school of Tropical Medicine in London. A total of 481 HIV-infected men and women took part in the trial and were asked to take the minerals contained within Immunace. The results at 48 weeks showed that the death rate among those with CD4 counts (an indicator of the strength of the immune system) below 200 was almost halved." says a spokesperson.

Dr Kartar Lalvani, president of Vitabiotics and the inventor of Immunace was recently awarded the DTI award for Innovation by Lord Sainsbury in recognition of this exciting product and its tremendous potential.

Vitamins can help, but the biggest problem facing the Indian community is heart disease. The British Heart Foundation statistics show that early deaths from coronary heart disease are about 50 per cent higher in South Asians than the UK average. Approximately 300,000 people in the UK suffer a heart attack each year and about 140,000 die. The highest recorded rates of coronary heart disease are in people born in the subcontinent - India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Heart disease can be caused by many different factors, but in South Asians the incidence is much greater - predominantly due to the fact that they are genetically more susceptible to developing heart disease and metabolic disorders associated with insulin resistance and central obesity. The incidence of diabetes, which is up to six times more common in South Asians than in the general UK population, is another extremely significant contributory factor. A high fat and low fibre diet, low rates of exercise and high levels of smoking further increase the risk of heart disease.

Waiting to have a heart attack is a high risk strategy if you are of Asian origin, and so needless when so much can be done to detect heart disease early and to prevent its progression. In a group with such an elevated risk of heart disease, it makes sense to get motivated and do something about it - sooner, rather than later.

Heart disease is often silent - the first symptom often being the heart attack itself, so early detection is the key. This is now possible using revolutionary imaging technology, Electron Beam Computed Tornography (EBCT), which is available at the European Scanning Centre in London. A heart scan can detect the extent of athlerosclerosis, the "furring-up" of the coronary arteries at a time when it is still treatable. It calculates a calcium score that is used to estimate the patient's individual risk of having a heart attack in the next 10 years. The results give an accurate indication of what is needed to improve the health of your heart, whether it be simple lifestyle changes, medication or further investigation. EBCT is so accurate and sensitive that it is the only technology approved by the FDA (the American regulatory authority) for calcium scoring.

Furthermore, having a heart scan couldn't be simpler. It is completely non-invasive, takes just 15 minutes and does not even require the patient to undress. The scanner itself is open so there is no feeling of claustrophobia, and is able to acquire images at an ultrafast speed with startling clarity. It uses just a fraction of the radiation dose used by conventional CT scanners making it an ideal screening tool for people with multiple or high risk factors such as those in the South Asian Population.

A heart scan at the European Scanning Centre costs 525 pounds. An appointment can usually be offered within a few days and includes a consultation with a doctor immediately after the scan. Although these scans are currently only available in the private sector for the self-payer, many specialists are increasingly utilising calcium scoring to accurately diagonise and treat patients already experiencing heart-attack symptoms.

Early detection is certainly helpful but sometimes, in the UK, patients have to endure long waiting lists for check-ups and treatment. Now, there is an alternative option available: get to India and get high quality treatment at affordable rates. So, instead of resigning yourself to the fact that you have to wait for months before getting treated on the NHS or start breaking your Fixed Deposits to put together the astronomical amount required to go private, check with Med de Tour. It can literally save you thousands of pounds.

A new UK specialist travel firm, Med de Tour is one of the first companies to introduce medical tourism to India. Representing the Manipal Group of hospitals (ISO certified), there are over 42 specialities offered, including cardiology, orthopaedics, oncology, ophthalmology, neurology, urology, plastic surgeries, dentistry and comprehensive health checkups.

Medical tourism can be broadly defined as the provision of affordable private medical care in collaboration with the tourism industry for patients looking for surgical and other forms of specialised treatment. Today, medical tourism has become a common form of vacationing and covers a broad spectrum of medical services. More importantly, it mixes leisure, fun and relaxation together with wellness and healthcare.

According to Sahar Ali, managing director, Med de Tour, "Health and medical tourism is percieved as one of the fastest growing segments in marketing "Destination India" today. This is because we are in a position to offer medical services at one-tenth the cost compared to that in many countries in the West. What we are telling foreign tourists is to come and enjoy India, and along the way take care of their health at 1/10th the cost."

As far as quality of the services is concerned, India stands shoulder to shoulder with the best hospitals in United States. When compared to other countries promoting medical tourism like South Africa and Thailand, India has an advantage over others - most foreign nationals are already used to getting treated by Indian doctors in their home countries. Indian medical professionals settled abroad are associated with high quality care. Added to this, holistic services from yoga to allopathy offer a unique basket of services that is difficult to match anywhere in the world.

Premjit Singh, the company's marketing director says, "We want to provide people with a full gamut of services and are thrilled to now offer a fresh and innovative approach to private medical insurance. In association with Freedom we offer the opportunity to provide medical cover for yourself and your family with flexibility at a competitive cost. The medical insurance we offer gives you the freedom to choose how you spend the money, the hospital of your choice(in the UK or India) and the freedom to choose the level of cover."

The post-surgery holidays offered are meticulously planned and aimed at complete rejuvenation and recovery. Locations and accommodation offered are vast - by rivers, mountains, beaches, wildlife sanctuaries and more. Whoever could have imagined being sick could actually have some perks?

Request information on Med de Tour.