‘My good friend Tulsi bhai’: PM Modi welcomes WHO chief on his arrival for ‘traditional medicine summit’

New Delhi: As the World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in India on Wednesday for the traditional medicine summit, he received a unique welcomed & greeting from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

PM Modi, while replying to Ministry of Ayush post on X (earlier called Twitter), said, “My good friend Tulsi Bhai is clearly well prepared for Navratri! Welcome to India.”

In the post shared by Ayush Ministry, Dr Tedros could be seen grooving like dandiya dance at a venue.

My good friend Tulsi Bhai is clearly well prepared for Navratri! Welcome to India, @DrTedros! https://t.co/NSOSe32ElW

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 16, 2023

Notably, ‘Tulsi bhai’ is a Gujarati name by which PM Modi fondly calls him. And, this comes from former’s ‘India connection’ during his childhood.

At an event of Global AYUSH Investment and Innovation Summit last year, Modi had said,”Tedros is a good friend of mine. He always told me Indian teachers taught me and I am here because of them. Today he told me – ‘I have become a pucca Gujarati. Have you decided a name for me?’ So I will call him Tulsi bhai as a Gujarati.”
WHO chief in India for Traditional Medicine global summit

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is set to take part in 2-day Traditional Medicine Global Summit in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. He also took to Twitter to announce his arrival and participation in the program, to be attended by global dignitaries.

Delighted to be in #India for the @WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit, the Ministerial Meeting on Ending TB in @WHOSEARO and the G20 Health Ministers Meeting. Namaste India! pic.twitter.com/908fzLAGjR

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 16, 2023

Ghebreyesus will inaugurate the event in presence of Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal. The event will see participation of G20 health ministers, WHO regional directors and eminent invitees from countries across the UN health body’s six regions. A wide range of traditional medicine practitioners, health & civil society workers are also likely to be part of the global summit.

1st ever Traditional Medicine Global Summit

The Summit on traditional medicine assumes importance as the global powers seek to attain a universal health coverage for all by harnessing the potential of traditional medicines. Notably, the Allopathy & homeopathy line of treatments have failed to cover the planet on a whole and hence wide consultations are being held to utilize & optimize natural resources of given regions.

This will help explore vast potential & application of traditional medicines while catalyze collective action toward the evidence-based integration of traditional medicine.