Dr. DEBASIS BAKSHI, a well-known socio medical activist and expert, is the H.O.D. Acupuncture-Moxibustion, Director and Hony. Secretary, Indian Research Institute for Integrated Medicine (IRIIM), Howrah, West Bengal. As he joined Calcutta Medical College and Hospital for his MBBS degree, he also decided to get trained in acupuncture in early ‘70s from Dr. Bejoy Kr. Basu, a doyen of acupuncture in India. Later he completed a post-graduate certificate course on Acupuncture and Moxibustion from Kiangshu Institute for Chinese Traditional Medicine, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China in 1978. A prolific writer, Dr Bakshi has more than fifty research articles to his credit. He has been doing a pioneering effort to use integrated medical approach to tackle many common ailments including ADDICTION and has treated over 70,000 patients in the last three decades. With a view to promoting the effective treatment method which is a viable and affordable alternative to costly modern medical practice he has also trained hundreds of qualified doctors in integrated acupuncture –moxibustion so far. Dr Bakshi shares his experiences and thoughts with Consulting Editor Mr Vagish K Jha. (
Newsletter-May’05 issue- http://www.nisd.gov.in/newsletter/may2005/index.html)
(Dr Bakshi, welcome to NISD Newsletter. As you know, each issue of the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD) newsletter (under Govt. of India) features interview with some eminent personality in the field of Social Defence, I feel privileged to have you with us this time. Let me begin with a 'complex' question. With so many things that you are associated with how do you introduce yourself? Your self-perception about yourself, please.
Vagish K Jha - You got involved with integrated medicine and holistic health about a quarter century ago, that is much before they became the 'in thing' as they are known now. What led you to move away from the 'mainstream' to ‘alternative'?
Dr. D. Bakshi - In early 70’s when I was a student of Calcutta Medical College (the oldest Medical College of Asia), one day a senior doctor called me to discuss on a patient suffering from Gangrene in the foot (Buerger’s disease). The patient was a daily wage-earning mason. Surgeons advised him for amputation of the affected leg below knee, which, if followed, would surely lead him to unemployment. At that time we were already aware of acupuncture from media. Dr. B. K. Basu (Doyen of Acupuncture in India), an ex-student of our Medical College, was practicing Acupuncture in South Kolkata. We took the Gangrene-patient immediately to Dr. Basu, who treated him with acupuncture for about a month and the patient recovered without operation or amputation. And obviously, he was able to resume his old profession again. This unique experience motivated us to learn Acupuncture during our student period (1972-’73). Later on, I became more and more convinced about the importance of Acupuncture and other Pro-nature therapies and integration of modern & traditional medicine.
But coming to your question, I feel the terms ‘mainstream’ and ‘alternative’ are misnomers. In the so called ‘alternative medicine’ including traditional medicine, World Health Organisation (WHO) has listed 142 systems or techniques of therapies. Out of these, many systems have been used since Stone Age. The so-called ‘mainstream’ or modern medicine developed only after the industrial revolution i.e. about 500 years ago. Also, as our former Hon’ble Union Health Minister informed in the parliament, more than 75% of our population use the so-called traditional and alternative systems of medicine. I, therefore, advocate for using the term ‘mainstream’ for so called ‘Alternative’ & ‘Traditional’ systems and ‘alternative’ for the modern medicine. Anyway, I have not moved away from ‘mainstream’, I only want to be a physician practicing integrated medicine, which includes both traditional and modern wisdom and technology.
Finally, I think I am basically a socio-medical worker. On the basis of whatever knowledge and experiences I have gathered till date - as a social worker and acupuncture physician, trainer and researcher – I want to share them with the broad masses of people and sow among them the ideals of selfless service to the people and natural way of living. With this aim in mind I have been working for establishing the approach of integrated medicine putting emphasis on the use of traditional medical science for the benefit of the common people of India, specially the deprived & under privileged section of it.
VKJ - How do you define integrated medicine?
Dr DB - Integrated medicine may be defined as a new system of medicine (our Chinese teachers used to call ‘NEW MEDICINE’) comprising of all the positive components of Traditional, Alternative and Modern Medicines. But it must not be confused with mere combination of therapies. To practice Integrated Medicine, the practitioners should have ‘Holistic’ viewpoint. For example, if any person regularly takes Yoga and Pranayama, he/she can stand many critical health situations and even major surgical operation smoothly. Pressing on, after an operation, certain acupuncture points in the hand, can stop immediately the post-operative nausea vomiting. For a patient of drug resistant Tuberculosis, acupuncture plays a unique role for enhancing the immunity thereby promoting the efficacy of anti Tubercular modern medicine. In Rheumatoid Arthritis, an integration of Acupuncture-Yoga-Naturopathy-Dietetics along with minimum doses of ‘Disease modifying drugs’ and Physiotherapy has been proved more effective than single therapy.
VKJ- Tell us about 'Pratyaya'? How and why did you start using traditional medicinal systems for de-addiction?
Dr DB - Pratyaya is a Bengali word meaning confidence. Pratyaya is the de-addiction-cum-counseling centre run by Indian Research Institute for Integrated Medicine (IRIIM) at Mourigram, Howrah, West Bengal. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India has been sponsoring the centre since 1993.
Since the decade of 1970s, we have treated thousands of patients suffering from various ailments including different types of addiction by integrating acupuncture with other therapies at different socio-medical organizations and IRIIM hospital. For more than these 20 years we have found that integration is more effective than only modern medicine. We have also noticed that relapse rate is definitely reduced if the affected person continues with the therapy. We have got several references from different advanced institutions across the world. Later on in the early 90s, we decided to start formally a de-addiction-cum-rehabilitation centre at IRIIM hospital. From the very beginning we have developed a definite protocol based primarily on the use of Acupuncture-Yoga-Naturopathy, Diet therapy and Counseling with minimum support of modern medicine.
During our whole treatment we use very little of modern medicine though we are not against it. Mostly we use the vitamins, minerals and anti oxidants regularly and sometimes Placebo medicine. Our research studies showed pro-nature drugless therapies are more effective than modern medicine in 80% of the conditions.
Since the decade of 1970s, we have treated thousands of patients suffering from various ailments including different types of addiction by integrating acupuncture with other therapies at different socio-medical organizations and IRIIM hospital. For more than these 20 years we have found that integration is more effective than only modern medicine. We have also noticed that relapse rate is definitely reduced if the affected person continues with the therapy. We have got several references from different advanced institutions across the world. Later on in the early 90s, we decided to start formally a de-addiction-cum-rehabilitation centre at IRIIM hospital. From the very beginning we have developed a definite protocol based primarily on the use of Acupuncture-Yoga-Naturopathy, Diet therapy and Counseling with minimum support of modern medicine.
 |
| Dr.Smith speaking at FINGODAP Conference in Kolkatta |
 |
| Dr.Bakshi facilitating session on acudetox for addiction at FINGODAP Conference in Kolkatta |
VKJ -There are other streams of traditional systems also like Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Aroma therapy, Magnet therapy, Reiki and so on but you seem to have settled for an intersecting combination of Acupuncture, Yoga and Naturopathy. Is there any specific reason behind it?
Dr DB - Basically I am an Acupuncture physician and believe in pro-nature, drugless therapies like Yoga-Naturopathy and Diet. I practice these therapies and habits in my personal and family life, and propagate it to our patients including our addict brothers. And I must say that I have got admirable results and also positive response from the patients regarding the efficacy of the systemic integration of Acupuncture-Yoga-Naturopathy and Diet therapy. I think other traditional systems, which you have mentioned, may also be helpful. But, as I have never tried the other therapies, I personally do not have any direct knowledge about the efficacy of the other systems.
VKJ - I have seen you giving lot of importance to tongue as a diagnostic tool, where does it come from and how helpful have you found it?
Dr. DB - The Tongue and Pulse diagnoses are two very important pillars of traditional medical science and its diagnosis, especially in Acupuncture and Ayurveda. Since my student days in Acupuncture, I have learnt both Tongue and Pulse diagnoses. Later on, in our day to day practice we have found that observing the Tongue and palpating the Pulse are extremely helpful not only for diagnosis and treatment, but also for assessing the efficacy of treatment and the future progress of the disease. Very recently we have completed a 3-year collaborative research project on the efficacy of traditional tongue diagnosis sponsored by Dept. of Information Technology, Ministry of Communication & IT, Govt. of India. The project has entailed a rich database showing the unique role of Tongue diagnosis in different clinical conditions in comparison to normal one. We have presented several scientific papers in national and international conferences regarding the variations of Tongue features in different phases of treatment and follow-up of the addicts. For documentation and for various further studies, we take digital images of tongues of all the addict patients like others coming to our institute and enter the images along with other clinical details in our computerized database. For the assessment of the clinical conditions of the patients including the addicts, we regularly apply our knowledge of traditional Tongue diagnosis.
VKJ -. For de addiction Dr Smith uses only auricular acupuncture (Lincoln Protocol) but you seem to be employing the full fledged (body) acupuncture? comment.
Dr DB - Ear Acupuncture is only a part of the whole Acupuncture system of therapy, which is based on the theory of classical Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). As per the WHO guideline, any physician can learn the Acupuncture techniques as a whole including Ear Acupuncture. On the basis of my knowledge of the classical texts of Acupuncture,I dare say that Body Acupuncture is the basic treatment and Ear Acupuncture is only a part.
But in some parts of the world the puncturing of the skin beyond a few millimeters is prohibited, and there Ear Acupuncture is used as an alternative. Personally I think Ear Acupuncture is effective in many clinical conditions specially in critical situations but it should be used along with Body Acupuncture. Ear Acupuncture, in no case, can substitute/replace Body Acupuncture. Moreover only the qualified physicians and properly trained health workers are eligible to learn and practice Acupuncture - either body or ear.
VKJ - What is the period for which a patient needs to undergo the treatment? Do you take help of medicine also or it is a stand alone method?
Dr DB - Usually we start Acupuncture treatment in our OPD for a week prior to admission in the Indoor for detoxification. Later on, during detoxification phase we continue the Acupuncture along with Naturopathy and Diet till the crisis period is over. When the patient is stable, we add Yoga, Pranayama and Counseling along with Acupuncture, Naturopathy and Diet as daily treatment. After completing the Indoor therapy for one month, we ask the patients to continue the therapy again in OPD for at least 6-8 weeks usually on alternate days or twice a week sitting. Patients are also asked to continue the Yoga, Pranayama, prescribed Diet and lifestyle.
VKJ - What is the situation of relapse? Does this method remove or kill the craving altogether?
Dr DB - As the incident of relapse amongst the addicts is very high, this condition is regarded as a chronic disease. But like in other chronic disease conditions, in the case of addiction too, the integrated Acupuncture-Yoga-Naturopathy and Diet therapy has been proved not only effective for relieving the symptoms in a better way but also can prevent / delay the chances of relapse. More than 10% patients, treated in our de-addiction centre, are leading completely drug free life, and more than 25% of them relapse only after considerably long recovering periods. It is also found that these Pro-nature drugless therapies, if practiced properly in an institutionalised way, can remarkably reduce the craving for the addictive materials or substances.
VKJ - What is the cost that a patient has to bear during the treatment?
Dr. DB - As our centre is partly sponsored by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India, the treatment is totally free. The patients have to bear only the food expenses.
VKJ - You have such a long experience of working in the de-addiction field, what do you think government could do to promote such low cost and more effective de-addiction system?
Dr. DB - I think Govt. of India should come forward with some positive plan to introduce the approach of integrated Acupuncture-Yoga-Naturopathy and Diet therapy in all the de-addiction centers throughout India. To do that, model / nodal training centers should be developed / established to train primarily the medical and paramedical staff of the existing de-addiction centers. Presently, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India allows the qualified doctors to practice Acupuncture. Different government agencies including ICMR and WHO highly approve of the Pro-nature drugless therapies including Acupuncture-Yoga-Naturopathy. So formation of a National Centre for treatment, training and research on integrated Acupuncture-Yoga-Naturopathy and Diet therapy, is very essential for promoting these therapies for the benefit of millions of sufferers. A joint collaborative effort between NISD, MoSJE, Ministry of Health, WHO and recognised research institutes in this field like IRIIM is most desirable. I hope such an effort will be able to combat this burning problem more effectively.
Source :Newsletter-May’05 issue- http://www.nisd.gov.in/newsletter/may2005/index.html