High – Level review by AYUSH Ministry of National AYUSH Mission (NAM) activities of States and UTs against the backdrop of Covid-19

Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha chaired a high level meeting to review the various impactful interventions which the Ministry made in the recent months and which have significantly contributed to the preventive steps and management of Covid-19. Principal Secretaries and Secretaries of AYUSH and Health Departments of different States and UTs took part in the meeting held through video confeferencing.

Shri Kotecha appraised the States/UTs about the recently released National Ayurveda and Yoga Protocol for Management of Covid-19, the need to expedite the operationalization of AYUSH Health Wellness Centres approved under National AYUSH Mission (NAM) and the urgent need to improve the expenditure and fund flow at State/UT level under NAM.

The Ayush Grid project of the Ministry, which aims to establish a unified IT backbone for the sector, was discussed in detail. Information about the completion of a cloud based AYUSH Health Management Information System (A-HMIS)which can be put to use by all AYUSH establishments was welcomed by all. The A-HMIS is one among the 14 different pilot projects that have been implemented under the Ayush Gird project. The AYUSH Ministry invited all States/ UTs to make use of this HMIS to streamline the hospital processes in their respective domains.

The need for the States/UTs to focus on early operationalization of AYUSH Health & Wellness Centres as per the target set under Ayushman Bharat was underlined. Possible steps to enhance the pace of expenditure under NAM was also discussed. States/UTs were requested to expedite the action for thorough co-ordination with AYUSH and Health Departments in the States/UTs for early and smooth operationalization of HWCs. It was emphasized that there is renewed interest among the public in Ayush processes and solutions in the post-Covid times, and that it was essential to expand the scope and reach of NAM operations to fulfil this increase demand for Ayush products and services.

Secretary also highlighted the important steps taken by the Ministry of AYUSH in the context of Covid-19. He, however, cautioned that the Protocol should not lead to a false sense of security. He requested the active co-operation and participation of the states/UTs in implementation of the protocol to manage covid-19 pandemic effectively. He also explained that release of such a National Protocol was a landmark in the mainstreaming of Ayush Systems.

The Protocol is developed by expert committees from Research Councils and National Institutes under Ministry of AYUSH and other national research organizations. The protocol is based on knowledge from Ayurveda classics, experience gained from clinical practices, empirical evidences and emerging trends of ongoing clinical studies conducted through various research organizations and National Institutes. The protocol consists of easily available and common Ayurvedic herbs and formulations like Guduchi, Ashwagandha etc. and yoga practices in managing asymptomatic, mild and post-covid stages in addition to prophylactic and preventive care. The Protocol is an important tool to take the people-friendly solutions offered by Ayush Systems to a larger number of beneficiaries.

During the meeting various States/UTs shared their experiences and activities they have conducted in the context of covid-19. The joint efforts and sharing of experiences, it was agreed by all, will lead to the potential of Ayush Systems being tapped on a nation-wide scale for fighting the pandemic.