title: Healthcare the Ayurvedic way.
abstract: Ayurveda, the indigenous medical system of India, has integrated the concept of interconnectedness into its understanding of health and disease. It considers the human body as an indivisible whole with a network of interrelated functions, mind and consciousness, wherein a disturbance in one part will have repercussions in other parts as well. The key to health is for these factors to maintain stability since disease is seen as a perturbation in this network. Ayurvedic treatment aims not only at removal of disease, but also at the restoration of the equilibrium of bodily functions.    The centuries-old science of Ayurveda, apart from being a holistic form of medicine, also clearly defines the student-teacher and doctor-patient relationship. It sets high ethical standards of professional and personal integrity for the doctor, teacher and student. In addition to being technically skilled and well-read in the science, practitioners of Ayurveda must be compassionate and empathetic. Students of Ayurveda are taught the importance of compassionate caring for patients and maintaining personal integrity.
authors.affiliation: Department of NMR, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. ramajayasundar@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Rama
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jayasundar
mesh_terms: D004501:Education, Medical; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations