Flush with funds, the Ministry of AYUSH is working with ambitious plans to go global and encourage entrepreneurship and mass production
photo by jason g
The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) was formed on November 9, 2014, with the objective of reviving and promoting ancient Indian knowledge systems in medicine and healthcare to the masses. During the pandemic, the ministry took several initiatives to popularize ancient Indian teachings for a healthy lifestyle as preventive health care methods.
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The government’s focus on the ministry is clear – the budgetary allocation for it almost tripled from Rs 685.21 crore in 2014 to Rs 1,939.76 crore in 2019. This year, the allocation was increased to Rs 3,050 crore. The major breakthrough of the Ministry is the integration of AYUSH Health and Wellness Center (AHWC) with Ayushman Bharat, the flagship health insurance scheme of the Government. This will be for those who follow alternative medicinal treatments to get insurance benefits. Between 2017-18 and 2020-21, the number of patients visiting government-run AYUSH centers increased by over 70 percent. In terms of education, the Institute of Ayurveda Teaching and Research (ITRA) at Jamnagar has been accorded the status of Institute of National Importance. National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur has been declared as Institute of Deemed University.
