Acupuncture – the friendship bridge
A ten member all India delegation of acupuncturists under the leadership of Dr. Mrigendranath Gantait , president of AAI has visited China from 9 October to 17 October in an exchange programme. Members of the delegation were 1) Dr. M. Gantait 2) Dr. Bhaskar Jyoti Bhattacharya, General Secretary of AAI 3) Dr. Bhabani Prasad Sahu, Vice-President, AAI, Kolkata 4) Dr. Vinay Varma, V.P., AAI (Hubli, Karnataka), 5) Dr. Hiralal Samanta, Director, Dr. B.K. Basu Memorial Research & Trg Inst. Of Acupuncture, Kolkata 6) Dr. Nilesh Patel, senior acupuncturist,Indore, M.P. 7) Dr. K.S. Naik, senior acupuncturist, Rourkela, Orissa 8) Dr. Raman Kapur, senior acupuncturist, New Delhi 9) Dr. Rumi Beramji, senior acupuncturist, Mumbai 10) Dr. M. Muthukumar, senior acupuncturist, Chennai.
They had gone to Beijing. On 11 October they had meeting with State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Mr. Zhu Haidong, Depoty Director of international co-operation department of SATCM was leader of the Chinese side. They had expressed that in China acupuncture therapy is a part of traditional Chinese Medicine. TCM has full- fledged course of five years. Acupuncture training is given to doctors of modern medicine after they complete graduation. Learning TCM in undergraduate courses of modern medicine is optional, but in some provinces it is compulsory as in Ganshu province
On 12 October the delegation went to Schijiazuang by high speed train (more than 300 km/h) within one hour. They visited North China martyrs’ cemetery where Dr. Kotnis, Dr. B.K. Basu and Dr. Atal’s remains have been kept in tombs in a special area. Also there is a statue of Dr. Kotnis who had breathed his last in north China at the age of 32 years only. In this cemetery there is Dr. Norman Bethune memorial exhibition hall and Indian National Congress Medical Mission memorial exhibition hall. Members of the Indian Medical Mission to China (1938-1943) were Dr. M. Atal (leader). Dr. M. Cholekar (Dy. Leader), Dr. Dwarkanath Shantaram Kotnis, Dr. Bejoy Kumar Basu and Dr. Debesh Mukherjee. Members of the delegation paid floral tribute to the tombs of the Indian doctors. Leader of the delegation Dr. M. Gantait, also the president of Dr. Kotnis Memorial Committee (DKMC) of West Bengal had presented a photo album on activities of DKMC. Also a book on Life and Activities of Dr. B.K. Basu and Acupuncture in India was presented. At noon Mr.Jiang Jian Ming, Director of Administration of TCM of Hebei Province had hosted a banquet lunch in honour of the delegation.
Then the delegation went to Changsha, capital town of Hunan province by high speed train. Next morning of 13 October there was formal meeting with the Dr.Qin Yuhui , president of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine and other officials and faculty members of the university. The university was established 50 years ago. There are different subjects like herbal medicine, Tuna, Acupuncture, Qigong, physiotherapy , researches etc. It has foreign students also. The university has collaboration with 20 countries where they conduct training courses. President of the university was impressed to know the status of acupuncture in India from the leader of the delegation. He expected India might be the 21st country to have collaboration with their university. At noon Dr. Qin Yuhui hosted a formal banquet in honour of the delegation.
In afternoon the delegation was taken to classrooms of Tuina massages and acupuncture techniques. After that there was exchange discussion programme where the Chinese teachers gave presentations to explain some matters on acupuncture as were requested by delegation members. The subjects of discussion were on acupuncture point specificity, vital energy Qi and its existence and measurement whether possible by instrument, acupuncture in obesity , researches on acupuncture. Later they took the delegation to research laboratories to show tonge observation diagnosis, pulse diagnosis, Tuina pressure practice etc. Indian delegation had presented on some activities done in India. Therese were on acupuncture in limb gangrene, acupuncture to control plasma glucose, relation of ABO blood group with efficacy of acupuncture, acupuncture to treat obesity, effects with MRI evidence in intervertebral disc prolapsed cases before and after acupuncture. At evening Prof Dr. Gu Xing Dean of Acupuncture of the university hosted dinner.
Next morning on 14 October the delegation was taken to visit new hospital of the university to show indoor and outdoor departments of acupuncture, moxibustion and physiotherapy. It was a big hospital of twenty four storey building with all facilities of modern medicine. Three stories are for acupuncture and physiotherapy. The delegation members saw how the Chinese TCM doctors perform acupuncture treatment. In afternoon the delegation visited Yue Le Academy (which was established in 9th century AD). Beside this academy Hunan University has been formed.
On 15 October the delegation was flown to Shanghai. There was mainly sight seeing programme. On 16 October the delegation went to visit Museum of Chinese Medicine, where detailed history of development of Chinese medicine have been shown in detailed exhibition. On 17 October morning there was a courtesy meeting with Mme Ching, Depty Director of Asia Africa department of Foreign Affairs of China, Shanghai.
The whole visit was arranged and sponsored by Mr. Ma Zhanwu, Consul General of Chinese Consulate, Kolkata. There was high class hospitality during the whole trip. The feeling of friendship between the peoples of two countries was felt everywhere by the delegation members. The trip started from Kolkata on 9 October and ended at Kolkata 17 October. The delegation was composed from seven States of India.
This was the first such visit to China by a group of ten acupuncturists in an exchange programme. It may be recalled that a team of three teachers of acupuncture from Hunan University of Chinese Medicine visited Kolkata in last August for 9 days.
AAI has opened a new path in the history of acupuncture in India for further development of acupuncture and co-ordination of acupuncturists all over the country. Let all acupuncturists be united for the cause of acupuncture in India.
19 October, 2016