An IndoAmerican Medical Humanities program promoting Kamrup's IKS-based healthcare: a model for innovative rural and global health practices

Background/Rationale: The Medical Humanities is an emerging educational field gaining traction in medical institutions of the U.S., U.K, and other countries abroad. Its purpose is to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of medicine and view medical treatment through a biopsychosocial lens. Students engage in courses relating to unique healthcare methods and complete a field study research project. Such a kind of approach is imperative in tackling the multifaceted health-related issues of the current age. There exists a plethora of such arising issues, including but not limited to: widespread mental illness, excess population growth, educational deficiencies, and climate change. In a country like India where 65% of the population lives in rural areas, developing a biopsychosocial healthcare system modeled off each community’s Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) may prove to be the most effective strategy in combatting these pressing issues. Therefore, the KaviKrishna Foundation, a non-profit research organization directed by Dr. Bikul Das, is working to not only study but revive the IKS of Kamrup, Assam. In this effort, KaviKrishna Telemedicine Care (KTC) has been running a rural medical clinic located Sualkuchi, Kamrup, based on the principles of Jiva Upakara Tantra (JUT), an ancient tantric medicinal philosophy of the area, for 30 years. Its affiliated laboratory in the U.S., the Thoreau Laboratory for Global Health, also directed by Dr. Bikul Das, aims to bring Medical Humanities students from the U.S. to engage with KaviKrishna’s IKS-based rural healthcare system. In the current era of globalization, this Medical Humanities international exchange will serve to broaden the reach of India’s IKS and apply its medical philosophies to the global health challenges of the day. Therefore, we intend to develop a Medical Humanities program based on our experience at KTC that is accessible to both local Assamese as well as international students. Methodology: A case study for the Medical Humanities international exchange has been initiated for the past 3 months. The first author, an upcoming undergraduate student at Bowdoin College, U.S.A., is staying in Assam as a research intern and volunteer from January to June 2023. In Sualkuchi, she worked with four prospective Medical Humanities Ph.D. students (R.D., P.D., S.B., R.R.S.) by participating in focused group discussions (FGD), performing field visits at local satras and community events, and engaging with the patients in the clinic. Additionally, the first author is editing the research book “Reviving the Spirit of Jiva Upakara Tantra” by Bikul Das. Translations of the cancer patient narratives and other Medical Humanities work from Assamese to English is also needed. All projects aim to stimulate and contribute to the continuously evolving IKS of Kamrup. Results: The overall finding of the case study is that American students living in Assam and working with KaviKrishna for a prolonged period of time is feasible. The first author adjusted rather well to the climatic and cultural changes and was met with enthusiasm from the community. However, she needed a guide to help with transport, shopping, etc. due to the language barrier. Through her interactions with locals, she was able to experience the IKIN (Indigenous Kamrupian Information Network) firsthand. Additionally, so far, 1/20 sections of Bikul Das’ Hindutva book have been successfully translated by a local student at SBMS College. Bikul Das’ JUT book is 70% completed. All efforts to consolidate materials are ongoing. Conclusion: The interconnection of the KKL (KaviKrishna Lab) at IIT-G, Muga Museum and KTC (KaviKrishna Telemedicine Care) in Sualkuchi, makes this prospective program an ideal research base for the Medical Humanities. Students from the U.S. would be particularly interested to research the effectiveness of combining cultural preservation with clinical treatment and contributing their own findings to the theory of biopsychosocial medicine. Further research is needed to tackle logistical problems, such as safety concerns, as well as climatic, cultural, and language barriers, which would need to be properly addressed, requiring adequate funding and staff.