Parl panel recommends Ayush-Health Ministry collaboration to establish pluralistic healthcare system

Feb 11,2024

New Delhi: A parliamentary committee has recommended the Ayush Ministry to collaborate with the Union Ministry of Health to implement measures ensuring that the health workforce comprehends the importance of integrating systems. The collaboration aims to establish a pluralistic health system that caters to the population's diverse needs, the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare said in its report "Review of National Ayush Mission in India", presented in Parliament on Friday.

The committee also suggested incorporating the awareness of Ayush systems into school curricula, a significant step towards minimising knowledge barriers between Ayush and modern medicine.

"Facilitating a dialogue among health providers from various systems becomes imperative for optimising patient outcomes. Substantial reforms in Indian medical education are essential to instil in medical students and practitioners an attitude supportive of the integration of modern medicine and traditional medicine," it said in the report. 

The committee noted that like China, the Ministry of Ayush's efforts to establish 12,500 Health and Wellness Centres (now renamed as Arogya Mandirs) go a long way in establishing Ayush as a medicinal system with the potential to fulfil the objectives of the universal health program. 

"Like China, the government of India should also devise ways to integrate the Ayush system with poverty alleviation initiatives to boost community engagement," it said.

The committee also recommended the government intensify its focus on implementing the National Ayush Mission (NAM) by strategically aligning its objectives with mainstream healthcare delivery.

Source: Healthworld