Health minister Patrick Pillay on Friday September 12, unveiled the plaque to mark the official opening of Le Niol Health Resort, signaling what could be the start of a new tourism venture for Seychelles.

The resort, promoted by Dr K.S.Chetty, is inviting tourists worldwide to experience the healing powers of Asia's most ancient medical therapy, ayurverda, reputed for its rejuvenation effects on the body and mind.

This 5,000-year-old therapy has been brought to our shores all the way from Kerala in South India, the focal point of Ayuverdic practices.

Already several local patients have successfully began to reap the benefits of Ayuverdic rejuvenation and healing therapy after undergoing treatment at the resort which began operating earlier during the year.

For visitors seeking Ayuverdic rejuvenation, the resort offers packages for holiday and health therapy from 4 to 31 days. This is a combination of therapy and guided tours of several exciting places in Seychelles.

Speaking at the opening ceremony in the presence of distinguished guests, friends and patients, Dr Chetty said that every year thousands of tourists visited Kerala in search of Ayuverdic health rejuvenation.

"They come to Kerala in search of Ayuverdic therapy both for specific health problems like rheumatic complaints and also for rejuvenation therapy to recharge their body and mind, relieving the stress and strain of modern life," he said.

Seychelles, he added, with its pristine environment, could become another alternative destination for people seeking body and mind revitalisation.

Noting that the delivery of health care is the duty of both government and the private sector, Dr Chetty said he firmly believed that people should have choices and that the whole attention given to alternative medecine was for the better. 

"In our pursuit of quality health care we believe that the private sector has got a very important role and a responsibility in sustaining and meeting with the demands of an increasingly sophisticated population, most particularly among the youth," Dr Chetty said.

In his speech on the occasion, Minister Pillay said Dr Chetty should be congratulated for having the foresight to realise this project, which he said added a new and important dimension to health care services in Seychelles.

Better health, he said, could only come with sustained and well-planned investment in both the public and private sector, something which his ministry has been encouraging all along.

"Given our busy life schedule and hectic pace of life, the resort should provide naturally a haven of good health and revitilisation, reminding us that health care is not merely about dealing with diseases but about promoting health,"  Minister Pillay pointed out. 

Le Niol Health Resort offers various treatments using botanical preparations to restore energy, reduce stress, strain and fatigue, relieve body aches and improve complexion and skin texture. Ayuverdic treatment involves different therapeutic procedures using traditional herbal oils and body massage. 

The resort, which is in two blocks, is equipped with two massage rooms, one for female and one for male clients, an exercise gym and three well-furnished units of one bedroom with kitchen and living room to accommodate in-patients, and a swimming pool.

As part of its therapy programme the Le Niol Health resort offers yoga and meditation  as one of the most effective ways to relax the body and the mind.

The opening ceremony was marked by the presence of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Liaison Officer for Seychelles, Dr Rui Gama Vaz, the Indian High Commissioner Mr Malay Mishra and the principal secretary for Health, Mrs Marja McGaw.  

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