Modi dedicates All India Institute of Ayurveda to nation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today dedicated to the nation the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), the first AIIMS-style comprehensive ayurvedic healthcare facility, on the occasion of National Ayurveda Day.

The institute, which is already functional at Delhi's Saritha Vihar, besides facilitating patient care, provides research information, thereby helping to bridge the breach in the scientific information about quality, safety and usefulness of Ayurveda products.

The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), built up as an apex institute under the ministry of AYUSH, is expected to bring synergy between the traditional wisdom of Ayurveda and modern diagnostic tools and technology.

Speaking after the dedication ceremony, Modi said while we need every healthcare system and want the growth of all, the government wants the poor to get access to India's healthcare system.

But, for this, more investments are needed in this sector,?Modi said, even as he appealed to the private sector to contribute towards the development of yoga and ayurveda by contributing parts of their CSR?funds.

Modi highlighted the need for exploration and discoveries in the field as herbal medicines are becoming popular worldwide, and said, India's coastal areas should be explored for new discoveries in the field.

The farming of medicinal plants will give new employment opportunities, added Modi.

He also pointed to the need for developing medicines that offer faster relief and ayurveda can do this without the side effects that are common with allopathic medicines, he said.

He also pointed to the need for better packaging of ayurvedic medicines, supported by quality certification at every level of production.

He also called for revisiting the existing ayurveda education structure as well as the development of supporting chains of ayurveda.

''Ayurveda and yoga can be effective for our soldiers, says PM?Modi, adding that it can boost their immunity,'' Modi said.

Set up as an apex institute under the ministry of AYUSH, the AIIA will bring in the synergy between traditional wisdom of Ayurveda and modern diagnostic tools and technology, PTI quoted Shripad Yesso Naik, minister of state for AYUSH, as saying.

The All India Institute of Ayurveda, set up on a total area of 10.015 acres on a budget of Rs157 crore, is the first medical institute under the AYUSH ministry to hold the coveted National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) accreditation.

''In a short time, the AIIA has gained wide national and international recognition. It has started working towards facilitating quality patient care and research, bridging gaps in scientific information about quality, safety and efficacy of Ayurveda products, and developing benchmarks of Ayurvedic education, research and healthcare,'' Naik said.

The Ayurvedic Standard Treatment Guidelines developed by the ministry have also been released at the inaugural function. Nearly 1,500 participants from across the country are expected to be a part of the programme.

The present clinical specialities of the hospital block include neurological and degenerative disease care unit, rheumatology and musculoskeletal care unit, diabetes and metabolic/allergic disorders care unit, Yoga, Panchakarma clinic, Kriya Kalpa, diabetic retinopathy clinic and infertility clinic. It also has pathology, biochemistry, microbiology and radiology laboratories and diagnosis facilities.

Post-graduate programme (MD/MS) in Ayurveda at AIIA started from the academic session 2016-17 and the PhD courses have been started for the session 2017-18, Naik said.

The ministry of AYUSH has requested all the state governments, Ayurveda teaching institutions, associations of Ayurveda practitioners and Ayurveda drug industries among others in India and abroad to observe 'Ayurveda Day' on 17 October and undertake various activities like organising public lectures, seminars, exhibition and radio talks.