Govt's health policy will lay emphasis on Ayurveda: Vardhan

Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan today said the government would work towards enhancing Ayurveda's global acceptance as evidence-based medicine.
Speaking to reporters at Haridwar after laying foundation stone of a Global Museum of Ayurveda and Herbal Medicine at yoga guru Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Yoga Pitha, he said that the government's health policy is going to lay primary emphasis on the Ayurveda Siddhanta, for the first time since 1947.
"This is in tune with the times as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has given considerable importance to Ayurveda in its activities related to traditional medicine," he said.

Stating that the WHO has contributed substantially towards the implementation of pharmaco-vigilance in Ayurveda and the publication of documents for rational use, he stated that every AIIMS centre will have an indigenous medicine department of which Ayurveda will be a major component.
"AIIMS Rishikesh will take the lead in this as steps are underway to have a 100-bed AYUSH Hospital and land for medicinal herb cultivation facility for standardised production of medicines," he said.
On AYUSH, the Union minister said, the government has set up a Committee of Directors to recommend a blue print for the operationalisation of a yoga training and therapy centre at AIIMS Rishikesh, according to a press release here.

The committee will be headed by Dr Raj Kumar, Director, AIIMS Rishikesh, and hold its first meeting on August 4, the minister stated.
Baba Ramdev said he appreciated the Narendra Modi government's commitment to represent evidence-based treatment in a positive light to the people.
The minister and the yoga guru had a detailed discussion on research trends in modern science and clinical applications of Yoga and Ayurveda, the release further said.