New Delhi: Minister for Health and Family Welfare, A.L. Hek, on Friday pushed the centre for sanction of a nature cure and wellness centre and a 50 bedded AYUSH hospital in the hill state, famous for its traditional medicine and vast resources of medicinal plants in its rich biodiversity.
This will be help in providing poor people affordable medicine and treatment thorough locally available resources, Hek said while addressing the second conference of Health/AYUSH Ministers of States/UTs organized by the Ministry of AYUSH here which was inaugurated by the Minister of State for AYUSH and Health & Family Welfare Shripad Yesso Naik.
The wellness centre may be set up in Ri Bhoi district while the 50-bedded integrated hospital could come up at Cherrapunjee to provide ayurvedic and homeopathic treatment through affordable and locally available resources, Hek said. “I request you to consider these proposals under the National AYUSH Mission,” he added.
The Union minister informed that under National AYUSH Mission (NAM), grant-in-aid of Rs 75.28 crore has been provided in 2014-15 to 25 states/UTs, and Rs 296.42 crore in 2015-16 as on January, 2016 to 26 States/UTs. The central allocation for NAM has been increased from Rs 331 crore in 2015-16 to Rs 400 crores in 2016-17, which was welcomed by Hek.
The conference was held to provide an opportunity to interact with all the States/UTs for the development of AYUSH sector.
Addressing the participants, the Union minister said that the AYUSH sector has done well over the last one year including the enthusiastic celebration of the maiden International Day of Yoga which was able to set two Guinness World Records.
Hek also demanded for increase of seats for the North East in the North East Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS). He also urged for 100 per cent funding under centrally sponsored schemes for NE states while continuing the existing 90:10 system pattern which will help the states under the NAM.
The Union minister said that the Union cabinet has approved the landmark proposal to collaborate with World Health Organization (WHO), which will help in global positioning of AYUSH. India is also developing bilateral cooperation with the U.S. in areas of research, capacity building/training and scientific endeavours in AYUSH for which a high level meeting is slated to be held in the first week of March in New Delhi.
The AYUSH minister, however, expressed concern about the weak quality control and sale of substandard AYUSH medicines in the market. He strongly directed the states to build up a strong regulatory framework and quality control system, as well as impart training to the experts posted for licensing and quality control work of AYUSH drugs.
The Union minister urged the states to avail financial support under NAM for improving infrastructural and functional capacity of the public pharmacies, drugs testing laboratories, regulatory setups and for engaging technical experts and testing of drugs as well.
