Collaborate to achieve holistic health, Walia to doctors

New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Delhi Health and Family Minister A.K. Walia Saturday called upon medical professionals to work in close association with one another as well as with environmental specialists to achieve the goal of holistic health.

"The health ministry is looking for such collaborations as centre point of all health care agencies in future whereby every citizen will have access to clean water, clean food and clean air," said Walia while addressing a two-day national seminar and workshop on Holistic Health at Maulana Azad Medical College.

The seminar is being organized by the state health and family welfare department and is being attended by more than 500 participants of all fields of medical and health from different parts of the country.

The minister said that a platform is required where all systems of medicine and health can learn from one another while maintaining their uniqueness, and holistic health is an integrated approach pertaining to every aspect of health care, including the physical, psychological, spiritual and social needs of people.

"No healthcare system alone in the world can survive by concentrating only on curative aspect of diseases. Therefore, an inter-departmental coordinated approach between various disciplines like allopathy, ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, home remedies, unani, homeopathy and allied therapies (like physiotherapy, laughter therapy, etc. should be the prime focus. Thus integration is the future of the holistic health," he said.

Walia also cautioned that human health cannot be dissociated from the health of environment.