40 Health & Wellness Centres to be ready by March ending
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 5: Four Integrated Ayush Hospitals sanctioned by the Government of India for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be made functional during 2024-25 Financial Year while as 40 Health and Welfare Centres to be operational by ending March this year.
In a written reply to a question in the Parliament, Minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal informed that seven Integrated Ayush Hospitals have been sanctioned for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and work is apace on majority of them.
Of these seven Integrated Ayush Hospitals, five are 50 bedded and two are 10-bedded. The 50 bedded hospitals are coming up at Kulgam, Kupwara, Kathua, Samba and Kishtwar while as 10-bedded are being constructed at Bandipayen in Baramulla and Gadi Garh in Jammu.
As per the official information available with EXCELSIOR, Integrated Ayush hospital at Kulgam will be made functional within next two-three months as majority of the work has been completed while as at least one year will be required to complete work on Ayush Hospital at Kupwara.
Likewise, 50-bedded Integrated Ayush Hospital at Kathua is likely to be made functional within next six months. However, raising of infrastructure in respect of Samba Ayush Hospital will take more than one year time as its foundation stone was laid by the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha recently. No time-frame can be specified in respect of Integrated Ayush Hospital at Kishtwar because of litigation between Ayush Department and a contractor.
“Before the end of 2024-25 financial year, 50-bedded Ayush hospitals at Kulgam, Kupwara and Kathua will be made operational”, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “while 10 bedded hospital at Gadi Garh will also be completed within next six months. However, no time-frame can be specified for the opertionalization of similar hospital at Bandipayen in Baramulla in the light of the fact that its foundation stone is yet to be laid”.
The Union Ayush Minister further informed the Parliament that a total of 523 Ayush Health and Wellness Centre have been sanctioned for Jammu and Kashmir and 483 among them have been made functional till date. Of these 523, 94 were sanctioned in 2019-20, 100 in 2020-21, 123 in 2021-22, 125 in 2022-23 and 81 in 2023-24.
As per the official information, work is apace on remaining 40 Health and Wellness Centres and they will be made operational by ending March this year.
When contacted, Director Ayush J&K Dr Mohan Singh confirmed that three 50-bedded and one 10-bedded Integrated Ayush Hospitals will be made operational before the end of 2024-25 financial year and all 523 Health and Wellness Centres will be functional before ending March this year.
Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme National Ayush Mission, there is a provision of financial assistance to the State/UT Governments for the establishment of 50, 30 and 10 bedded Integrated Ayush hospitals and operationalization of Ayush Health and Wellness Centres by upgrading existing Ayush dispensaries and health sub-centres, he said.
About the benefits of Ayush Health and Wellness Centres, he said, “the objectives behind establishment of these centres are to ensure enhanced accessibility to achieve universal health coverage for affordable treatment and reduce burden on secondary and tertiary health care facilities”.
Moreover, these centres reduce out of pocket expenditure due to self-care model and help in integration of Ayush in implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (Good Health and Well-being), as mandated by the NITI Aayog besides validation of holistic wellness model in target areas.
Likewise, Integrated Ayush Hospitals cover medical expenses for treatments in Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Siddha, Unani, and Homeopathy, apart from Allopathy treatments and help in preventive healthcare and wellness.
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