Steps Taken to Popularize AYUSH System of Medicine

Steps Taken to Popularize AYUSH System of Medicine

People across the country are following traditional Indian medical systems of AYUSH. According to the data available, 17,73,75,226 Patients visited Government Health Care Facilities under AYUSH in OPD and 19,57,921 were admitted as inpatients in   2017-18.

The measures taken by the Ministry of AYUSH for further propagating the natural medical systems are: –

The Ministry of AYUSH regularly observes days dedicated to AYUSH Systems of Medicine Viz. International Day of Yoga, Ayurveda Day, Unani Day, Siddha Day, Naturopathy Day, Homoeopathy Day etc. to create awareness about the benefits of the respective AYUSH system of medicine including natural medical systems.A Central Sector Scheme for Promotion of Information Education and Communication (IEC) in AYUSH has been devised by the Ministry of AYUSH for this purpose. Under this Scheme, the Ministry of AYUSH takes up initiatives to create awareness about and to promote AYUSH systems of medicine including natural medical systems. These initiatives include organizing Arogya Fairs, Melas, Conferences, Exhibitions, Seminars, Workshops, Symposium, Yoga Fests and Ayurveda Parvs.

The IEC Scheme also supports undertaking publicity campaigns through electronic media, print media and social media amongst the citizens in the country.Ministry of AYUSH has established five Research Councils namely CCRAS, CCRUM, CCRS, CCRH & CCRYN for Research in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy, Yoga & Naturopathy respectively. These research councils apart from engaging in clinical/ field research also undertake the following activities: -Running Mobile health programme catering to backward regions and SC/ST communitiesUndertaking health awareness campaigns.Piloting Innovations like telemedicine with the help of common service centres.

 Ministry of AYUSH has already established advanced research institutes in  Indian medical systems through Research Councils. Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) has 21 Research Centres in different States/UTs for advance research in Homoeopathy.Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) is carrying out its research activities through its 30 Institutes/Centres/Units located all over India and also through collaborative studies with various Universities, Hospitals and Institutes. The research activities of the Council include Medicinal Plant Research (Medico-Ethno Botanical Survey, Pharmacognosy and Tissue Culture), Drug Standardization, Pharmacological Research, Clinical Research, Literary Research & Documentation and Tribal Health Care Research Programme.Central Council in Research in Siddha (CCRS) had initiated steps to establish advanced research in Siddha medical systems through IMR and EMR projects.

Clinical research, Epidemiological research, Drug research, Literary and fundamental research, and Medicinal plants research are being carried out in these units.  Totally there are 25 ongoing IMR projects and 8 completed IMR projects of CCRS.CCRS is equipped with state of the art infrastructure with sophisticated instruments in the following departments: Department of Clinical Research, Department of Bio-chemistry, Department of Pathology, Radiology, Department of Chemistry, Department of Pharmacognosy etc., CCRS had published 32 books publications and 456 scientific research articles in various indexed international / national peer reviewed journals.CCRS had signed MoU with reputed institutions / organizations for initiating collaborative research works.

Central Council for Research in Unani Medicines (CCRUM) has also carried out Advance Research on various diseases in collaboration with other renowned academic/scientific institutes.CCRUM is also authenticating raw drugs as well as compound formulations by implementing Pharmacognostical methods viz., Macroscopy, Microscopy and Powder Microscopy; Physico-chemical methods and instrumental such as TLC fingerprint.

At present there is no such proposal for consideration to establish a University for Siddha and Unani Medical systems in Tamil Nadu on the lines of   Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan  Ayurveda Medical University in Rajasthan. However, the matter comes

under the purview of State Government. This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.