SHILLONG: In a bid to provide better health care facilities to the people residing in the region, Health and Family Welfare Minister, AL Hek, on Saturday laid the foundation stone for the 50-bed Integrated AYUSH Hospital at Wahshari, Sohra.
Delivering his address, the health minister expressed happiness that after years of continuous efforts and proposals, the Ministry of AYUSH under the National AYUSH Mission has allotted sanction for the setting up of two hospitals, one in Sohra and the other at Ri Bhoi District.
He highlighted that motive behind selecting Sohra as one of the centre was that the government wanted to promote the concept of health tourism.
Sohra, he said, is adorned with natural scenic beauty known throughout the world making it a sought after tourist destination, attracting visitors from around the country and the world over.
He stressed that through this centre, the practises of local and traditional healers would also be integrated with AYUSH programme which will help to revive and promote the ancient and traditional methods of healing. He cited example of Kerela, where its health tourism, promoted through the traditional systems of medicine like Ayurveda and Siddha, attracts tourist from all over the world.
He thanked the people of Sohra, who had generously contributed their land for the setting up of the Centre.
Earlier, Gavin M. Mylliem, MLA, Sohra, stated that it was a privilege and a matter of pride for the people of Sohra that such a hospital was being set up in the region. He urged the Health Engineering Wing to ensure that the work be carried out at the earliest so that the centre will be completed in time. On completion, the Centre will prove to be very beneficial not only for the people residing in those areas but also for the thousands of visiting tourists.
In his speech, the Director of AYUSH, Pravin Bakshi, Secretary of Health & Family Welfare Department, said that AYUSH programme is growing all over the country and is being further strengthened with the setting up of a full-fledged Ministry of AYUSH at the centre.
He pointed out that with a huge tourist footfall in the region, it will be very beneficial to link tourism with health and wellness. He stated that having an AYUSH hospital will not only promote healthy living among the people but also promote the tremendous in flow of tourists who will now have another reason for visiting Sohra. He mooted the idea of not naming the centre as a hospital but rather as a health and wellness centre which goes beyond the scope of treatment whereby people can avail various therapies which is not necessarily linked to illness but to overall health, wellness and beauty.
