The union health ministry will soon set up dedicated Ayush departments across the district hospitals in the country under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) project. Efforts are also on to introduce Ksharasutra (surgery procedure using a medicated thread) at these facilities.

Under the project, it is envisaged that all primary health centres (PHCs) and community health centres (CHCs) would be provided Ayush facilities, stated Dr. SK Sharma, advisor, Ayurveda, department of Ayush, New Delhi.

The required manpower will be arranged either by relocation of Ayush doctors from existing dispensaries or will be recruited on contract. The other infrastructure and supply of medicines to the PHCs / CHCs will be made through the centrally sponsored scheme of hospitals and dispensaries which have received a favourable response from States in the last two years of the 10th Plan. Hence, it is proposed to substantially increase the Plan provision for this scheme to Rs 625 crore in 11th Plan. A minor modification in the scheme for to upgrade and assist existing Ayush hospitals and dispensaries are also proposed.

With regards to offer Ksharasutra in the PHCs and CMCs, the department of Ayush has organized a nationwide Ksharasutra awareness drive to educate the Ayurveda and allopathic physicians. The Ksharasutra campaign has been completed in nine states including Kerala, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh. Karnataka was the tenth state to launch the project. A standard surgical protocol is provided by experts.

In this connection a state task force committee on Ksharasutra has been formed. In Karnataka, the committee is chaired by the commissioner of health and family welfare with director of the Karnataka Ayush department as the member secretary. Other members include the assistant director of CCRAS, principal, government college of Ayurveda in Bangalore, Principal, SDM College of Ayurveda at Hassan and the head of the department of surgery, BIMS, Bangalore.

Dr PS Prabhakaran, vice chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences said that the 55 Ayurveda colleges in Karnataka should take advantage of the initiative by the department of Ayush which is imparting education and training on Ksharasutra.