The Union Ayush Ministry's Expert Committee set up 'to evolve a holistic medical system' in the country has recommended to the government that National Holistic Ayush Health Programmes for NCDs, geriatrics, maternal & child health should be formulated and implemented by National Ayush Mission.

The committee, headed by Dr H R Nagandra, has also recommended to the government to plan a holistic health programme taking help of different systems of medicine. It also recommended that about 25 per cent of the Ayush budget should be allotted to yoga and naturopathy. It asked the government to identify new, as well as strengthening existing, Ayush Centres of Excellence, and nurturing them to expand further to contribute to the holistic healthcare delivery system. They should generate evidence from extensive research on clinical and Ayush principles. A minimum of 20 per cent of the Ayush budget should be allotted for research on treatment, prevention, rehabilitation and promotion of positive health, the committee further recommended.

The ministry set up the committee to review the current status of the traditional system of medicine; plan a holistic health programme taking help of all systems of medicine; suggest appropriate training/orientation course; and to consider any other items essential to promoting holistic health in the country.

In its report, submitted to the ministry recently, the committee recommended that a short-term Ayush familiarisation course with an appropriate manual should be prepared for introduction into all medical colleges to provide a firm foundation for integration. To be able to reach the general public, the PHC doctors (modem medicine) should be made aware of the preventive and therapeutic approaches available under the Ayush systems. Simpler training modules should be designed and made available for the ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, teachers, counsellors and behavioural change communicators so that the strength of the Ayush systems can be used for public benefit. The Department of Ayush should create the modules through appropriate committees and facilitate implementation through the national Ayush mission.

The panel further recommended that the government should support the setting up of a•'Friends of Ayush Society" in New Delhi on the lines of FICCI, CII, Assocham, India International Centre and Habitat with land and building allocation and seed money.

Ayush should be accorded Heritage System status, and the government of India should seek United Nations recognition for Ayush. To encourage the Ayush sector to grow, 'Ayush Chairs' should be promoted in top international universities such as Cambridge, Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, UCLA, University of Texas, University of London, etc. More WHO collaborative centres could be established in India related to different sectors of Ayush and an Ayush office should be established in Geneva for liaison with WHO, the committee recommended to the government.