Allopathy Doctor On An Ayurvedic Mission Abroad

(Sureshkumar)

He is an Allopathy Doctor practising ‘Ayurveda’ in Europe. Due to the love, affinity and nostalgia towards Ayurveda, he has set up an eight bedded ayurveda clinic adjacent to his home in Klagenfurt, Austria. When Indians, particularly Keralites disregards ayurveda this NRI Surgeon from Kerala is keen on propagating our traditional treatment system in the west. He was in Kochi recently, to attend the ‘World Ayurveda Congress’, as a delegate.

         Dr. Sebastian Mathew Elambassery who hails from Palai did his M.B.B.S. at Kottayam Medical College. Soon he flew to Austria and passed MS and began practising there. After 20 years of service in a reputed hospital in Austria, he came into contact with Ayurveda. ‘It was quite accidental. Once I went to a bookshop searching a reference book on medicine (in German language). To my astonishment I found a lot of information on Ayurveda in that book. Although hailing from Kerala, I was ignorant about many things about Ayurveda.

I joined for 3 year Post Graduate Diploma Course in Nadiad, Gujarat, under the guidance of veteran ayurvedic specialist Dr. Gupta. After acquiring diploma, I began to practice Ayurveda to the westerners reaching the hospital. Meantime the chief surgeon in the hospital fell ill and became paralysed. When all the allopathic treatment failed on him, I tried ‘Ayurvedic Panchakarma’. After a course of treatment, the chief surgeon was cured of the ailments and became healthy. That news spread and the media in Austria gave wide publicity for the same’, narrates Dr. Sebastian Mathew.

‘I prefer patients choice to select Allopathy or Ayurveda. No compulsion is made. More westerners are attracting to Ayurveda. Allopathy only cures diseases, while Ayurveda prescribes ways to prevent diseases’, he adds.

He poohpoohed the stand taken by allopathy doctors in India on Ayurveda. ‘It is due to their mere ignorance on Ayurveda’, he opined. The patients admitted to my Ayurvedic clinic strictly follows balanced vegetarian diet. Yoga and meditation forms part of my treatment. The yoga classes are conducted none other than my wife Mary Mathew

It was India’s ambassador to Austria Mr. Srinivasan, who himself a Keralite, inaugurated my ayurvedic clinic two years ago. He has been providing a lot of help for the promotion of Ayurveda in Austria. Ayurvedic medicines are imported to Austria from India with ease due to the whole hearted support of the embassy.


_{But Austrian law still prohibits issuing visa to
ayurvedic doctors, masseurs from abroad. There is dearth of qualified ayurvedic
medical practitioners, masseurs etc in Europe. The Kerala government &
centre must take up the matter of issuing visa to them with their Austrian
counterpart.}
Ayurvedic medicines are imported to Austria by Dr. Sebastian Mathew with the collaboration of ‘Oushadhi’, Kerala. At present, there is no quality control measures to check Ayurvedic medicines in Europe. Westerners are afraid of afflicting cancer and other uncurable diseases. In this context, Ayurveda can play a dominant role, he adds. Dr. Sebastian has been conducting several lecturers in various parts of Europe, on Ayurveda. He is simultaneously practising allopathy and Ayurveda, at present giving prominence to the latter.

              The western world has some apprehensions about Ayurveda. They think that Ayurveda is a Hindu System of medicine. They demand scientific evidence for experiments and treatment. So more authoritative books and publications needed to propagate Ayurveda in the west. The government of India, Kerala and N.G.O’s can play a decisive role in this regard.

Another misconception about Ayurveda is that it is just body massage with oil. Luxury hotels in Europe are providing only such treatment in the name of Ayurveda. According to Dr. Sebastian Mathew, Ayurveda can be adopted in western countries in 3 stages. Teaching this medicine with authenticated records, cleansing the body of patients and applying classic ayurvedic treatment like ‘Panchakarma’.

He presented a paper ‘Ayurveda in Austria, Europe’ in the just concluded world Ayurveda Congress at Kochi.