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In February, a memorandum of understanding was inked between the National Institute of Ayurveda in Jaipur and the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Department of Thailand. The Ayush ministry in a statement had said that the initiative was to promote, facilitate and develop academic collaboration in the field of Ayurveda and Thai Traditional Medicine.

Now, almost three months later, in a first-of-its-kind approach, an acupuncture specialist from Thailand and Ayurveda experts from Kerala have been brought in to give relief to a paralyzed elephant calf at the Wildlife SOS Elephant Hospital at Mathura. The calf in question is 1-year-old Bani who was paralyzed after a train accident in Uttarakhand in December which left the mother dead.

“I'm delighted to be invited by Wildlife SOS for Bani's treatment. This is an opportunity for the exchange of veterinary knowledge between Indian and Thai Veterinary institutions,” says Dr Porrakote Rungsri, Professor of Veterinary Medicine, at Ching Mai University in Thailand. 

The plan is to use electro-acupuncture therapy alongside Ayurvedic treatment as part of a comprehensive veterinary care program tailored to this specific paralysis condition of elephant calf Bani. While Ayurvedic treatment for elephants is not a new thing, this is the first time acupuncture treatment is being provided in India for elephants using specialized Veterinary Acupuncture equipment.

“Electro-acupuncture therapy harmonizes tradition with technology, using controlled electrical stimulation to modulate neural signalling and orchestrate a symphony of balance and restoration within the body's energetic pathways," says Dr. Ilayaraja S, Deputy Director of Wildlife SOS. 

The officials hope that the innovative treatment method will relieve Bani of some of the limitations imposed by the accident. If successful, the programme will be seen as a feather in the cap of the India-Thailand joint venture on traditional medicine. 

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