Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said that an awareness campaign should be conducted in schools for the knowledge of Indian ancient systems of medicine like Ayurveda and herbal plants where the AYUSH Department could play a significant role. He was presiding over the meeting of Ayush Department at Raj Bhavan, today. The Governor said that AYUSH including Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Sowa Rigpa and Homeopathy was a holistic system of medicine and we should promote it in a big way, for which the departments could organize camps in collaboration with the Red Cross. He directed to select some schools in the initial stage for the construction of herbal gardens, where the AYUSH department would make available information about the medicinal plant to the students. With the awareness of the students, this campaign would reach every household, in which the Red Cross could also cooperate, he added.
He also directed to prepare a program in this regard. He said that a weekly yoga programme should be started in schools and for this, yoga teachers of AYUSH department would impart training. It could be extended regularly in the next phase through the Department of Education, he asked. Arlekar said that a workshop could be organized by enlisting traditional practitioners, which would provide an opportunity to understand their problems. He said that it was required to have their identification and documentation to maintain the medical system of traditional Vaid. He further said that dietary information should also be made available to the students as schools were such a better place where we could start these activities and it was through the students that this knowledge could reach every level. He appreciated the initiative of the department for providing better services to the people through their centers.
Rajeev Sharma, Secretary, Ayush apprised the Governor that at present 1248 Institutions of the department working in the State and it was 34 Hospital strength. Besides that, Rajiv Gandhi Post Graduate Ayurvedic College, Paprola and three Govt. Ayurvedic Pharmacies including Joginder Nagar (Mandi), Majra (Sirmaur) and Paprola (Kangra) were working in the state, he said. He said that these were one Drug Testing Lab in Joginder Nagar and four Herbal Gardens have been set up in Jogindernagar (Mandi), Neri (Hamirpur), Dumreda (Shimla) and Jungle-Jhalera (Bilaspur). He also briefed about the status of outreach activities of the department in the state. Vinay Singh, Director Ayush gave a power point presentation. He apprised that AYUSH department has a target to operationalize 140 AYUSH HWCs during the year 2021-22. He said that Ayurvedic Health Centres were being up-graded as AYUSH Health and Wellness Centre in the State under AYUSHMAN BHARAT. He said that the State Government has already notified 240 AHCs for up-gradation to AYUSH Health & Wellness Centre and up-gradation work was in progress. Vivek Bhatia, Secretary to the Governor was also present on the occasion.
