Hyderabad: From spinal pain to skin diseases, Govt Nature Cure Hospital treats with healing powers of nature

Hyderabad: If you believe in the healing powers of nature and want to get treated without any prescribed medicines, then you can visit the Government Nature Cure Hospital at Balkampet, in the heart of Hyderabad.

Spread over sprawling 10-acre campus amidst a scenic green setting, Telangana State Yogadhayana Parishad (TSYP), previously known as Andhra Pradesh Yogadhayana Parishad has four institutions functioning under administrative control. It includes the 60-seat Gandhi Naturopathy Medical College (GNMC) affiliated with Osmania University, the 148-bed Government Nature Cure Hospital (GNCH), Vemana Yoga Research Institute (VYRI), and Pranayama Research Centre (PRC).

Several decades ago, the 75-year-old Nature Cure Hospital was under a private Trust but was later taken over by the state government for treatment, training, and research in naturopathy and yoga.

“Whether one needs treatment for underlying health conditions or existing comorbidities, or one wants to recharge and rejuvenate, they can come down. We have patients not just from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh but from all over India. Daily, we get around 100 outpatients,” said Dr. A Naveen Jyothi, medical officer at NCH.

Management

The management of the TSYP is by a governing council at the apex, comprising the minister for medical health and family welfare T Harish Rao as the chairman, principal secretary to the government (health medical and family welfare), commissioner or director department of AYUSH and director of PRC as vice chairman.

There is also a secretary or CEO supported by a finance officer and administrative officer and four institutes under the Parishad namely GNMC, GNCH, VYRI, and PRC.

Facilities at GNCH

“We have abundant greenery with lots of trees and medicinal plants and a clean, green environment. There are well-planned walkways and park benches on the premises apart from the Figure 8 therapeutic walking path using the principles of chromotherapy. We provide a semi-automatic diet kitchen, spacious diet canteen catering to special diets as recommended by the doctors, laundry services, CCTVs for security, a kitchen garden, and an herbal garden.

In-patients have to stay for a minimum of seven days at our hospital after which the stay can be extended and follow-ups are done post discharge. They can choose between the general wards, special wards, and cottages, the tariffs of which vary considerably,” said Dr. Bhavani Sonti, Superintendent of the Hospital.

Diseases and medical conditions treated at GNCH

Dr Naveen Jyothi, medical officer at NCH said, “We treat numerous diseases and medical conditions for our patients. From chronic and curable diseases to lifestyle issues such as diabetes and obesity, we help patients regain their health by combining naturopathy and yoga. Patients need not stop the medicines prescribed by their allopathic doctors if they have diabetes, heart ailments, or other comorbidities for which medicines have been already prescribed. However, we do not treat end-stage serious diseases and those requiring surgeries.”

The common ailments treated at GNCH are:

Metabolic disorders (obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, gout), Nervous disorders (Paralysis, Hemiparesis, Sciatica, Migraine, Insomnia), Cardiovascular disorders (Blood pressure, varicose veins, arteriosclerosis, triple vessel disease), Gastrointestinal disorders (Ulcer, Gas formation, dyspepsia, constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS), Musculoskeletal System disorders (Spondylosis, PIVD, spinal pain syndrome, osteoarthritis of knee joints, frozen shoulder, golfer’s wrist, tennis elbow), Respiratory diseases (asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, sleep apnoea, rhinitis), Menstrual disorders (PCOD, PCOS, primary infertility, dysmenorrhea), Autoimmune disorders (Psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, ankylosing spondylosis), Lifestyle diseases (Computer Vision Syndrome, pollution inhalation syndrome, insomnia, tension headaches, anxiety, neurosis), Urinary diseases like Incontinence.

Special programs available at GNCH include weight loss, diabetic management, pre and post-delivery care, rheumatoid arthritis pain management, cervical and lumbar spondylosis management, corporate stress management program, psychosomatic problems management, skin diseases management, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation.

Therapies at GNCH

The different kinds of therapies that patients can undergo at GNCH include Hydrotherapy and hydro-massage, physiotherapy or exercises for conditions like asthma, backache, and even cerebral palsy and mud therapy (mud packs and mud baths to cool the body, absorb and eliminate toxins). There is also Chromotherapy or using the seven colours of the spectrum by storing sun-exposed water and oil in coloured bottles to treat various health conditions. Magnetotherapy uses magnetic fields, and permanent and weak magnets to treat various medical conditions.

Manipulative therapy or manual therapy is also a part of the treatment, which involves the moving or manipulation of one or more parts of the patient’s body by a therapist to treat a physical or neurological condition. Under this therapy, massages, chiropractic treatments, acupuncture, acupressure, myofascial therapy, and osteopathy are included. “Manipulative therapy helps to reduce muscle tension, improve blood circulation, reduce stress, treat spinal disorders, stimulate the lymphatic system, and relieve chronic migraine,” said Dr. Naveen Jyothi.

The basic theory behind Diet therapy is that food should be consumed in its natural form. This therapy includes an elimination diet or a liquid diet, a soothing diet (fruits, salads, sprouts, and boiled or steamed vegetables), and a constructive diet (whole wheat flour, unpolished rice, certain pulses, and curd). Also, fasting therapy for resting the digestive system is used. The diagnostic methods used to determine the cause of a disorder are through patterns of the patient’s iris and facial diagnosis.

Treatment modules

“Naturopathy deals with promotion, prevention, and curative aspects. It is based on five element therapies (fire, earth, air, water, space). Each treatment modality will cover at least one of the five elements depending on the requirement of the patient.

At GNCH, we combine various types of physiotherapies and manipulative therapies like massages, acupuncture, exercises, yogasanas, kriyas, and pranayamas, apart from special diet therapy.

The diet consists of natural sattvik food, which includes boiled, oil-free, fiber-rich food, lots of fresh fruits, juices, and vegetables. Patients have to follow dinacharya or daily routine strictly,” explained Dr. Naveen Jyothi.