Lok Sabha Question No. 3852 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-25
Subject: Linking of AYUSH System to the Accredited Social Health Activists
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: Arvind Kumar Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3852 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH MARCH, 2022

## LINKING OF AYUSH SYSTEM TO THE ACCREDITED SOCIAL HEALTH ACTIVISTS

## 3852.  DR. ARVIND KUMAR SHARMA:

Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:

(a) whether progress has been made to realise aimsto ensure quality of medicines, develop infrastructureand foster research as per National Health Policy 2017 and to link AYUSH systems to the Accredited socialhealth activists (ASHA) network;

(b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF AYUSH (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

(a)  to  (c)  National  Health  Policy-  2017 inter-alia recognizes  the  need  to  nurture  AYUSH system of medicine through development of infrastructural facilities of teaching institutions, improving quality  control  of  drugs,  building  research  &  public  health  skills  for  preventive and  promotive  healthcare  and  linking  AYUSH  systems  with  Accredited  Social  Health Activists (ASHAs).

In this regard, Ministry of Ayush is implementing the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the National AYUSH Mission (NAM) though States/UTs for development and promotion of AYUSH systems. The National AYUSH Mission inter-alia makes provision for the following activities through AYUSH systems of medicine:-

(i) Operationalization of AYUSH Health & Wellness Centres (HWCs)

(ii) Co-location of AYUSH facilities at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and District Hospitals (DHs)

(iii) Upgradation of existing standalone Government AYUSH Hospitals

(iv) Upgradation of existing/setting up of new standalone Government/ Panchayat/Government aided AYUSH Dispensaries

(v) Setting up of upto 50/30/10 bedded integrated AYUSH Hospitals

(vi) Supply of essential drugs to Government AYUSH Hospitals, Government Dispensaries and Government/Government aided Teaching Institutional AYUSH Hospitals

(vii) AYUSH Public Health Programmes

(viii)  Infrastructural  development  of  State  Government  Under-Graduate  and  Post-Graduate Educational Institutions.

(ix)  Establishment  of  new  AYUSH  Colleges  in  the  States  where  availability  of  AYUSH teaching institutions is inadequate in Government Sector.

Ministry  of  Ayush  is  also  implementing  the  Central  Sector  Scheme  for  augmenting quality of Ayush drugs,AyushOushadhiGunavattaEvamUttpadanSamvardhanYojana (AOGUSY) from 2021-22. The objectives of the Scheme are as under:

- (i) To  enhance  India's  manufacturing  capabilities  and  exports  of  traditional  medicines and health promotion products under the initiative of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
- (ii) To  facilitate  adequate  infrastructural  &  technological  upgradation  and  institutional activities in public and private sector for standardization, quality manufacturing and analytical testing of Ayush drugs & materials.
- (iii)To strengthen regulatory frameworks at Central and State level for effective quality control,  safety  monitoring  and  surveillance  of  misleading  advertisements  of  Ayush drugs.
- (iv) To  encourage  building  up  synergies,  collaborations  and  convergent  approaches  for promoting standards and quality of Ayush drugs & materials.

Central  Council  for  Research  in  Ayurvedic  Sciences  (CCRAS),  Central  Council  for Research  in  Unani  Medicine  (CCRUM),  Central  Council  for  Research  in  Homoeopathy (CCRH) and Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS), Central Council for Research in  Yoga  &  Naturopathy  (CCRYN)  are  functioning  as  autonomous  organizations  under Ministry  of  Ayush  for  research  in  Ayurveda,  Unani,  Homoeopathy,  Siddha  and  Yoga  & Naturopathy systems respectively. These Research councilsare working towards the scientific validation in concerned systems.

Further,  Ministry  of  Ayush  is  operationalizing  12,500  Ayush  Health  and  Wellness Centers (HWCs) as a component of Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Ayush Mission (NAM) through State/UT Governments in a phased manner by the year 2023-24. To deliver an  expanded  range  of  services  at  AYUSH  HWCs  as  per  the  preventive  and  promotive guidelines  and  standard  treatment  guidelines,  it  is  envisaged  that  ASHAs  to  provide information on availability of AYUSH services in their vicinity, to ensure Prakriti analysis, to ensure  regular  Yoga  at  the  community,  advocacy  of  AYUSH  Information  Education &Communication (IEC) campaigns-lifestyle, diet, behavioural codes, cultivation of medicinal plants and referral &follow up of patients under AYUSH care.