Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 17: In a bid to uplift the status of ayurveda and homoeopathy, the state government Monday launched the ambitious National Ayush Mission (NAM) with either Puri or Berhampur likely to get a 50-bed integrated Ayush Hospital soon.
“People in large numbers are steadily drawn towards alternative systems of medicine. The Indian medicines proved to be the most adopted system of alternative medicine among masses for which Ayush Mission will play a pivotal role,” said health and family welfare minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak while launching the scheme in the city Monday.
NAM aims to popularise Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy and Naturopathy by initiating various activities in a mission mode. The state plans to strengthen education, research and healthcare under NAM.
“NAM will help people in many ways to take care of their health for which we have planned to infuse modern technology into the ancient Indian healing systems. Emphasis will be laid on research activities and growing medicinal plants in the state. We need more futuristic plans for the execution of the mission in a dynamic way,” said health and family welfare secretary Arti Ahuja.
National Health Mission (NHM) director Roopa Mishra said NHM will go hand-an-hand with NAM for its popularisation and further growth which it was doing from a long time in Orissa.
“We are planning to set up the Ayush Hospital either at Puri or Berhampur at a cost of Rs 10.5 crore. The whole cost for the execution of NAM will be Rs 42 crore of which we have already got Rs17.66 crore. We will set up yoga wellness centres in the state capital, Ayush village at Ganjam and Khurda and more under the Mission in future,” said Ayush director Basudev Bahinipati.