JAMMU, MAY 11 (KNS): Secretary, Health & Medical Education, Bhupinder Kumar, today chaired 14th Executive Committee meeting of National Ayush Mission (NAM), wherein  State Annual Action Plan (SAAP) for the financial year  2023-24 worth Rs 100 crore under the Mission was deliberated in detail and recommended for submission to Union Ministry of Ayush for approval.

Secretary appreciated the Directorate of Ayush, J&K for their performance during the past 3 years and advised that more needs to be done for making Ayush as first choice of treatment for people in the UT of J&K.

Bhupinder emphasized on inclusion of establishing Specialized Wellness centres involving  stakeholders in the tourism sector in order to adopt Ayush specialized therapies in hotels and promote the benefits of Yoga and other specialized Ayush therapies to the tourists visiting the UT of J&K.

Secretary emphasized for strengthening of Ayush Institutions at grassroots level so that the people living in rural and far flung areas are provided best Ayush Healthcare facilities at their doorsteps. He instructed for better co-ordination among all line and allied departments for providing best Ayush healthcare facilities to common masses.

Secretary further advised that Directorate of Ayush J&K should work on the strengths of Ayush viz. Panchkarma, Regimenal Therapies, Ksharsutra, Yoga etc so that these facilities are extended to grassroot levels.

During the meeting, a publication of Directorate of Ayush, J&K (J&K Medicinal Plants Board) titled "Agro-Techniques and Therapeutics of some important Medicinal Plants of Jammu & Kashmir" was released by the Secretary.

Secretary said that Medicinal Plants sector needs revival to its past glory for which a dynamic strategy for Conservation, Commercial Cultivation, Processing and Value Addition needs to be implemented.

Later, Secretary emphasized the need to move from illness to wellness by promoting “Eat right Campaign” and “Fit India” through Ayush practice and spreading Yoga in every nook and corner of the UT. He said that integrated Ayush hospitals along with State of Art Yoga Centres should be made functional preferably in Government buildings.

Earlier, Director Ayush, J&K, Dr Mohan Singh, gave a detailed PowerPoint Presentation regarding various components of State Annual Action Plan viz. Ayush Services, Ayush Health and Wellness Centres, Ayush Educational Institutions, Flexipool and Admin cost. He informed that each component of SAAP has been prepared in accordance with the guidelines of Union Ministry of Ayush, keeping in view the best interest for  promotion, proliferation and expansion of Ayush services in every nook and corner of the UT of J&K.

He informed that during the Financial Year 2023-24, 129 more Ayush Dispensaries are proposed to be upgraded to Ayush Health and Wellness Centres in the UT thus achieving saturation under the Mission.

He added that 442 Ayush Dispensaries have already been upgraded to Ayush H&WCs in J&K for the last 3 years. He further informed that during the current financial year it is proposed to establish more Integrated Ayush Hospitals in UT of J&K. The Union Ministry of Ayush has already sanctioned five 50 bedded Hospitals for Kupwara, Kulgam, Kishtwar, Samba and Kathua districts. He informed the committee that two 10 bedded integrated Ayush hospitals are proposed to be established at Lower Gari Garh, in Jammu division and Bandipayen, Baramulla in Kashmir division.

Director Ayush further informed that construction of Government Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital at Rakh Hoshiyari, Kathua, for which 57 Kanal of Government land already stands transferred to the Directorate of Ayush, has also been proposed in SAAP 2023-24 under National Ayush Mission.  He further informed that 60 villages have been proposed to be designated as Ayush Grams besides implementation of five Public Health Programs under National Ayush Mission which have also been proposed, in the Annual SAAP of 2023-24.

Director informed that the publication will provide cultivators, industry, research scholars and other stakeholders with the much needed information. he added that it will also help in creating better understanding on the subject leading to important decision making for sustainable management and large scale cultivation of Medicinal plants in the UT of J&K. He further informed that the publication also emphasizes on the therapeutic values of these important Medicinal Plants

MD National Health Mission, J&K, Director Finance H&ME, Joint Director Planning, H&ME, State Drug Controller, J&K, Representatives from Finance, Planning departments and other senior officers of Health & Medical Education Department along with senior officers from Directorate of Ayush, J&K and Programme Management Unit staff of Directorate of Ayush attended the meeting.(KNS)