PUDUCHERRY: As part of introducing yoga as a healthy way of living, the Department of Health and Family Welfare is set to start a yoga centre in the old secretariat building near the beach at an outlay of `40 lakh, provided by National AYUSH Mission, under the Ministry of Health and Family welfare.
The yoga centre, which is stated to commence some time in July, will form part of life style modification centre, being established on the same premises to control the non-communicable diseases, said Dr K V Raman, Director of Health and Family Welfare.
A similar centre is being established in Government General Hospital, Karaikal. Two yoga therapists and two yoga instructors, one each for Puducherry and Karaikal has been appointed to start the centre.
Initially, a yoga centre along with a naturopathy centre would be established, said Dr Raman. People can come and learn yoga asanas and pranayam as a therapy. Besides, they can practice yoga for keeping themselves fit and healthy. As part of dietary intervention, a healthy food restaurant would be put up, where people can come and eat. The centre would have consultants who would give advice after checking the basic parameters. Besides, the lifestyle modification centre will also create awareness among the people, he added.
The government also proposed to start Under Graduate and Post Graduate courses in yoga in association with the Pondicherry University and Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute under Balaji Vidyapeeth. A research programme in yoga has also been planned, he said.
“One in every three persons above 30 years of age in the UT is found to be suffering from either diabetes or hypertension or both. This came to light after scre-ening residents of Koodapakkam, Gorimedu, and a section of the population from near Kosapalayam,” said Raman.
Around 13 per cent of the population have been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, with 85 per cent of the total detected being women, he added.
