New Delhi: 

Responding to a question over integration of ayurvedic system with allopathic system in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Jadhav said that Government of India has adopted a strategy of co-location of AYUSH facilities at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and District Hospitals (DHs), thus enabling the choice to the patients for different systems of medicines under a single window.

A central government-appointed committee is working on a framework for a comprehensive integrative health policy consisting of Ayurveda and Allopathic systems.

Informing this in the Parliament, Union Minister for Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav said, “An Advisory committee was constituted under the chairpersonship of Dr VK Paul, Hon’ble Member (Health), NITI Aayog to study the existing knowledge and efficacy of different models of Integrative Medicine and its benefits at large and to propose a framework of comprehensive Integrative Health Policy.”

It is worth mentioning that ever since the central government had initiated the move to integrate traditional system of medicine with Modern system, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had launched a massive protest across the country following which the centre has decided to promote the ayurvedic system of medicine without mixing with modern medicine.

“The engagement of AYUSH doctors and paramedics and their training is supported by the MoH&FW under National Health Mission (NHM), while the support for AYUSH infrastructure, equipment and furniture and medicines are provided by the Ministry of Ayush under National AYUSH Mission (NAM) as shared responsibilities,” Jadhav said.

Stating that the Ministry of Ayush has taken multiple initiatives towards integration of Ayush systems of medicine including Ayurveda with Allopathic system, Jadhav said, “The ayush vertical under Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), established by the Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW), serves as a dedicated institutional mechanism for planning, monitoring, and supervising Ayush-specific public health programs. This vertical provides technical support to both Ministries in developing strategies for public health, healthcare, Ayush education, and training.”

He said that the Ministry of Ayush and MoH&FW have jointly established Integrated Ayush Departments in Central Government Hospitals to promote integrative healthcare.

“As part of this initiative, Department of Integrative Medicine has been set up and is operational at Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi through All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi and Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI), Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi,” he said.

Jadhav further informed that no separate funding is allocated for establishing these centres.

The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) has undertaken research studies such as Operational study to explore the feasibility of integrating Ayurveda with modern system of medicine in a tertiary care hospital (Safdarjung Hospital New Delhi) for the management of Osteoarthritis (Knee), Feasibility of introducing the Indian System of Medicine (Ayurveda) in the National Reproductive and Child Health services at the Primary Health Care (PHC) level in Himachal Pradesh and Integration of AYUSH systems in the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases & Stroke (NPCDCS).

According to Jadhav, the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences has also undertaken research studies on the feasibility of introducing Ayurveda Intervention in Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) in PHCs of the selected district (Gadchiroli) of Maharashtra (Effectiveness of Ayurvedic intervention for Ante-Natal care (Garbhini Paricharya) at Primary Health Care level: A Multi Centre Operational Study).

Further, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and CCRAS have taken an initiative to set up Ayush-ICMR Advanced Centre for Integrative Health Research (AI-ACIHR), at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to conduct research on identified areas focusing on integrative healthcare under extra mural research scheme of ICMR.

Jadhav said that integrated services are also provided through satellite clinical services units established at Integrative Medical Services Unit at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, Integrative Medical Services Unit AIIMS Jhajjar and Centre for Integrative Oncology at National Cancer Institute - AIIMS, Jhajjar.

The minister said that nine organizations of national repute including Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) Mumbai, Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi among others have been funded under the Centre of Excellence component of Ayurswasthya Yojana under the activity-based and research-based Centre of Excellence for research and development to integrate the knowledge of Ayurveda with the modern system of medicine.

Read More :

The Wedding That Took 64 Years