The Department of Ayush is looking for Rs.450 crore under the scheme of hospitals and dispensaries during the next five-year plan period to complete the works initiated in the current plan period and to set up new hospitals and dispensaries for Indian systems of medicine.

The department was given Rs.162.80 crore during the current plan period. The components under the scheme were All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi (Rs.150 crore); CGHS expansion of Ayush dispensaries (Rs.6.30 crore); Advanced Ayurvedic Centre for Mental Health in NIMHANS, Bangalore (nil allocation) and CGHS Ayurveda Hospital, New Delhi (Rs.6.50 crore).

During the 11th Plan, establishment of AIIA has been taken up vigorously, construction of its buildings started since 2009-10, services of Director, personal staff and Clinical Consultants have been engaged, OPD facility started and several posts got created. The Department has now sought a whopping Rs.300 crore to complete the remaining capital works and make the institute function in the academic and clinical departments, sources said.

During the current plan period, the Ayush dispensaries opened in CGHS could not be made functional due to shortage of medical officers and paramedical staff, apart from non-creation of posts. Mid-term appraisal found the AIIA project on track and recommended necessary action for creation of posts on priority basis for Ayush dispensaries in CGHS as done for NRHM. The Department is looking for Rs.150 crore to expand this scheme.

The expansion and strengthening of Ayush under CGHS would be taken up by creating dedicated administrative set up with provision of Additional Director, CGHS (Ayush), opening new dispensaries/hospitals in various CGHS-covered locations and up-gradation of existing CGHS Ayurveda Hospital, New Delhi, sources explained.