Chandigarh: Soon, PGI to start prescribing Yoga asanas to OPD patients

CHANDIGARH: PGI plans to open a yoga department soon after which they would start prescribing yoga asanas to OPD patients. AIIMS in New Delhi has a centre for integrative medicine which already has such a department.

Recently, the PGI had signed an MoU with Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, a deemed university in Bangalore, for research and collaborations in yoga. "This MoU is for joint research between the two institutes and also for training the PGI faculty. Once this is done, we can recruit doctors who are trained in yoga," said PGI director Prof Jagat Ram. He added, "We understand the significance of yoga. Once we are done with out research in this field, we will be able to help the patients in the right way."

Yoga is seen as an alternative medicine, which is seldom prescribed by physicians. Along with the coming up of a separate department altogether, department of endocrinology will also start prescribing yoga asana on OPD cards.

"There are research papers which have proved the benefits of yoga, especially in lifestyle diseases. We have not been asking our patients to practice this. But since we have started talking about the yoga as a science now, our department will start prescribing the same soon," said Dr Anil Bhansali, head of the endocrinology department at PGI.

However, it will be limited to the OPDs and not for the admitted patients. "Yoga is mainly for prevention and remission of chronic diseases. The dosages of the medicines in case of diabetes can be reduced, but yoga cannot completely cure diabetes," said Dr Bhansali. He added, "We have very sick patients who are not in a position to even sit properly. These are the ones who are admitted. So, we plan to recruit a yoga teacher only for the OPDs who can tell us all about the yoga asana twice a week."