AYUSH treatment gaining importance in Nagaland

KOHIMA, OCTOBER 22: AYUSH hospitals and centres play a vital role in promoting awareness on prevention of non-communicable diseases and therefore they not just giving medicines to the patient but also encouraging healthy living through exercise, says Dr T Bendangtula, Deputy Director AYUSH, Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Nagaland.

Addressing a press conference on the 100 days of Ministry of AYUSH here, Dr Bendangtula said that a very holistic approach in treatment with an integrated system for the general benefit has increased the importance of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH).

She said in the past due to lack of awareness people were not willing to undergo AYUSH treatment, but with the establishment of a separate Ministry of AYUSH, the acceptance has increased manifold.

She said that besides providing treatment and good medicines free of cost there are physical instructors in the Integrated AYUSH Hospitals and Health & Wellness Centres to treat the Non-Communicable Diseases like diabetes, pressure, cancer and hypertension, etc. as those are totally related to our unhealthy lifestyle.

She informed that Nagaland has 142 AYUSH doctors spread over the 49 AYUSH centres including 3 Integrated AYUSH Hospitals.

She also said that the AYUSH centres are also running herbal gardens as experts have discovered over 1500 medicinal plants in the State, of which many are indigenous and rare species.

Many such plants can be grown in the kitchen garden therefore the AYUSH centres are demonstrating methods to grow the plants, she said.

Research Officer In-charge of Regional Ayurveda Research Centre, Dimapur, Dr. Vilas Gangurde highlighted the Ministry’s efforts under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen traditional medicine systems and expand access to quality healthcare across India.

He informed that the Ministry has held over 14,000 Ayush-led health camps nationwide, surpassing the original target of 10,000 camps in 100 days.

These camps provided free consultations and treatments in Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy, addressing the holistic healthcare needs of the elderly, he said.

A total of 1,489 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs were evaluated by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH), with 1,005 being awarded the Ayush Entry Level Certification. This initiative ensures the delivery of quality healthcare services across the country, he said.

The Ministry signed significant Memorandums of Understanding with Vietnam and Malaysia to foster collaboration in the fields of medicinal plants and Ayurveda, promoting the global acceptance of traditional medicine practices, he said.

The Ministry finalized 170 Ayush packages under the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to integrate Ayush treatments into the national healthcare system, ensuring affordable traditional healthcare services for all, Dr Gangurde said.

The RARC Dimapur team also highlighted Nagaland’s active participation in these initiatives, noting the successful local implementation of the “Har Ghar Ayur Yog” campaign, which aims to bring Ayurveda and Yoga to every household, promoting a healthier lifestyle across the State.

The initiatives being implemented in Nagaland will not only enhance public health but also preserve and promote our rich heritage of traditional medicine, Dr. Gangurde said.

He expressed pride in the progress made by the Ministry, stating, “The achievements of the Ministry of Ayush in just 100 days reflect its commitment to revitalizing traditional medicine systems and ensuring their integration into modern healthcare.”

(Page News Service)