Lok Sabha Question No. 627 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-09
Subject: Revitalize the Traditional System of Medicine
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: Dulal Chandra Goswami

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.627 ANSWERED ON 9 TH  DECEMBER, 2022

## REVITALIZE THE TRADITIONAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE

## 627.   SHRI DULAL CHAND GOSWAMI:

Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:

(a) whether the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) aims to revitalize the traditional system of medicine and AYUSH, so as to strengthen the public health system at all levels;

(b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the action plan formulated by the Government to revitalize traditional system of medicines and promote its practitioners?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF AYUSH (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

(a) to (c): 'Public Health and Hospitals' being a State subject the primary responsibility to ensure healthcare  services  lies  with  the  respective  State  Governments.  However,  under  the  National Health  Mission  (NHM),  Government  of  India  provides  technical  and  financial  support  to States/UTs  for  strengthening  their  healthcare  systems,  including  support  for  engagement  of doctors and for mainstreaming of  AYUSH  through  co-located facilities, based on the requirements posed by the States/UTs in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) within their overall resource envelope.

Under National Health Mission (NHM) of which National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is  one  of  the  component,  engagement  of  Ayurveda  Yoga  &  Naturopathy,  Unani,  Siddha  and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) doctors/ paramedics is being supported, provided they are co-located with existing District Hospitals (DHs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) with priority given to remote PHCs and CHCs.

AYUSH doctors  are  also  being  engaged  under  Rashtriya  Bal  Swasthya  Karyakram  (RBSK). Ayurveda practitioner, trained and certified through IGNOU/other State Public Health/Medical Universities for a set of competencies in delivering public health amd primary care services are also  being  engaged  as  Community  Health  Officer  (CHO)  at  Ayushman  Bharat  Health  & Wellness Centre- Sub Centres (AB-HWC-SCs).

As on June, 2022, over 27,606 AYUSH doctors and 4,337 AYUSH Paramedical Staff are supported under NHM at over 14,309 functional co-located facilities under NHM

Further,  North  Eastern  Institute  of  Ayurveda  &  Folk  Medicine  Research,  located  in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh has been established with a mandate to revitalize and promote Folk Healing practices & Folk medicine. The institute is engaged in documentation of ethnomedicinal practices  and  scientific  validation  of  folk  claims.  Furthermore,  the  institute  is  also  trying  to develop  capacity  building  among  the  traditional  healers  and  organizing  awareness  camps  for popularizing the potentiality of folk healing practices & folk medicine. Quality Council of India (QCI)  is  certifying  Traditional  Community  Healthcare  Providers  (TCHP)  under  Voluntary Certification Scheme for Traditional Community Healthcare Providers (VCSTCHP).

With regard to quality control mechanisms in teaching institutes across the country the National  Commission  for  Indian  System  of  Medicine  (NCISM)  Act,  2020  was  enacted  on 21 st September, 2020, to replace the existing Indian Medicine Central Council (IMCC) Act, 1970 to  introduce  competency  based/outcome  based  Course  Curriculum,  Syllabus,  Transitional Curriculum  &  User  Manual  for  Under  Graduate  (UG)  Courses.  Further,  Central  Council  for Research  in  Ayurvedic  Sciences  (CCRAS),  Central  Council  for  Research  in  Unani  Medicine (CCRUM) and Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS) are autonomous organizations under  Ministry  of  Ayush  for  research  including  medicinal  research  in  Ayurveda,  Unani,  and Siddha  system  of  Medicine  respectively.  CCRAS,  CCRUM,  CCRS  are  working  towards  the scientific  validation  in  the  concerned  system  of  medicines  through  clinical  research,  drug research, medicinal plants research, fundamental research, literary research and documentation.