Ministry of AYUSH integrates AYUSH system with modern medicines

Ministry of AYUSH is taking various initiatives to promote and integrate AYUSH system with modern system for increasing their acceptability as scientific and reliable alternative system of medicine, informed Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, in Lok Sabha recently. The highlights of such initiatives have been the following:-

The ministry under centrally sponsored scheme of National AYUSH Mission (NAM) co-locates AYUSH facilities at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and District Hospitals (DHs), thus enabling choice to the patients for different systems of medicine.

He said, “The ministry, alongwith Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), is implementing NPCDCS (National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke) for health promotion, prevention and management of non-communicable diseases or lifestyle-related disorders through its three research organisations, namely, Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) and Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) in districts namely Bhilwara (Rajasthan), Surendranagar (Gujarat), Gaya (Bihar), Darjeeling (West Bengal), Krishna (Andhra Pradesh), Sambalpur (Odisha) Nasik (Maharashtra) and Lakhimpur Kheri (Uttar Pradesh).”

It has been decided that 10 per cent of the sub- centres are to be upgraded as Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) under Ayushman Bharat which will be developed by the Ministry of AYUSH to provide comprehensive healthcare to the needy community. The Ministry of AYUSH has to develop a total number of 12,500 HWCs in three years, out of which 4,200 will be operationalised during current year.

He also notified that CCRH has developed a public health program on ‘Homoeopathy for Healthy Child’ which has been integrated with Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK).

“Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS) conducts special OPD for non-communicable diseases and geriatric population. Many of the patients are on conventional treatment and with the help of Siddha intervention, the HbA1c levels have been significantly reduced in diabetic patients and the quality of life of the patients has been improved. Nilavembu Kudineer — a Siddha polyherbal formulation — has been incorporated into integrative medicine strategy for the prevention and management of dengue and chikungunya,” he said.

Currenlty, Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), an autonomous organisation under Ministry of AYUSH, has established 19 preventive healthcare units of yoga in CGHS Wellness Centres in Delhi and NCR. Regular yoga training programmes are being held in these units. MDNIY has established four yoga therapy centres in Delhi with the basic objective of mainstreaming yoga in the existing healthcare system. These centres are providing Yoga consultation and imparts yoga training and therapy to the aspirants/patients in the hospitals.