With a view to elevate the state of Kerala into a position to brand it as the global capital of Ayush system for healthcare delivery, academic excellence, research and quality drug industry by the year 2025, the state department of Ayush has launched the comprehensive Ayush Health Policy 2016.

According to sources from government, Kerala government is the first state government in the country to launch the Ayush Health Policy. Framing of the policy is the first concrete step taken by the Kerala government to strengthen the basis of the traditional treatment systems after the formation of Ayush department in the state. The policy would be on the lines of the national policy of the ministry of Ayush.

Presenting the health policy, the minister of health, V.S. Sivakumar extolled the department for launching a policy for Ayush within one year of formation of the department. In order to formulate the policy, the ministry of health had constituted a draft committee with members representing the five systems of Ayush such as ayurveda, yoga & naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy. The committee carried out the draft of the policy which was endorsed by all the stakeholders and public, and later it was approved by the government.

The policy mainly envisages to provide the necessary support in providing the basic infrastructure for setting up of Ayush services, educational institutions, cultivation of medicinal plants and supply of quality medicines.

According to Dr, M. Beena, secretary of Ayush department, the Kerala Ayush Health Policy 2016 aims to position the state as a visible global brand in Ayush and establish Ayush system of medicines as preferred choice of treatment in primary health care.

The Ayush policy lays emphasis on improving the Ayush services by upgrading and developing the infrastructure facilities such as hospitals, specialty hospitals and dispensaries. It also stresses on strengthening the existing public health care programmes and exploring the possibility of starting new programmes based on the strength of each system of Ayush.

The policy has covered the framework for improving the Ayush education by setting up of medical colleges and research institute. It also plans to improve the cultivation of medicinal plants and uninterrupted supply of quality raw materials and medicines.

The policy states that the department of Ayush has a plan to start a well-structured diploma and degree programme in pharmacy in ayurveda and homoeopathy. Further it says that  feasibility assessment would be conducted to explore the possibility of starting paramedical courses in all streams of Ayush.

Similarly, possibility of establishing Kerala State Paramedical Services Corporation would be explored for setting up clinical labs, institutes/centres for clinical investigations and arranging the services of paramedics including home nurses for making available standardized service at reasonable cost. Steps would be taken to strengthen the services of therapists in government institutions.

“The Ayush health policy would address the urgent need to improve the performance of traditional health systems. It is being formulated at a time when Kerala is facing with new challenges in the health sector, majority of which can be efficiently managed by Ayush systems of medicine,” said Dr. D. Ramanathan, a member of the draft committee and secretary of Ayurvedic Medicine Manufacturers Association of India (AMMOI).