Sansad TV: Heal in India | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Introduction

AYUSH refers to Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy. India has become a prominent destination for medical tourism, attracting numerous people from different countries. The AYUSH sector has witnessed significant growth, with a market size increase of 17% per annum from 2014 to 2020. It is projected to reach 23.3 billion US dollars by FY 2022. To further enhance medical tourism, the government has initiated the 'Heal in India' programme. Additionally, Prime Minister Modi announced the upcoming launch of the 'AYUSH mark,' which will authenticate AYUSH products made in India. Furthermore, a special visa category will be introduced for individuals seeking AYUSH therapies in the country.

Role of AYUSH in achieving 'New India'

• Establishing AYUSH wings in defence and railway hospitals.
• Providing soft loans and subsidies for private AYUSH hospitals and clinics.
• Establishing institutes of excellence for teaching and research in AYUSH.
• Planning to set up 12,500 dedicated AYUSH health and wellness centers under the Ayushman Bharat mission.

AYUSH represents a diverse and integrated approach to healthcare. It can play a vital role in realizing the vision of a 'New India' by delivering quality healthcare services. A 'Healthy India' should embrace its traditional systems, and AYUSH offers a significant opportunity in this regard. Given the shortage of doctors in India, with only 80 doctors per lakh population, AYUSH can contribute to improving healthcare accessibility. AYUSH also aligns with the emphasis on preventive healthcare alongside curative aspects. The AYUSH industry has the potential to create 26 million jobs by 2020, as per government reports. Furthermore, the growing popularity of AYUSH and alternative medicine can boost medical tourism in India.

Challenges faced

• Non-integration into mainstream medicine: The limited presence of AYUSH in the healthcare system hinders its integration. Efforts have mainly focused on increasing AYUSH facilities without considering their effectiveness.
• Status gap: AYUSH faces challenges due to various issues, including dishonest practices and false claims by some practitioners. This has led to a negative perception of AYUSH treatments. Superficial promotion and export of AYUSH products have further contributed to this perception.
• Historical obstacles: Attempts to integrate traditional and modern systems of medicine have faced opposition from both within and outside the AYUSH sector. Proposals for integration, as recommended by the Chopra Committee in 1948, were later discarded.
• Isolationist approach: An isolationist attitude towards traditional medicine contradicts the ideal of modern medicine, which seeks to embrace evidence-based concepts. Such an approach hampers scientific scrutiny and potential value addition.
• Quality standards of medicines: Despite dedicated expenditure in the past, scientific validation of AYUSH has not progressed adequately.
• Lack of human resources: Traditional practitioners are increasingly opting for other opportunities, resulting in a shortage of skilled professionals.
• Under-utilized infrastructure: The existing healthcare infrastructure for AYUSH remains largely untapped.

Way forward:

• It is crucial to gather scientific evidence to establish the safety and efficacy of AYUSH medicines and practices.
• Efforts should focus on capacity building and training competent professionals in the AYUSH sector through quality education at national and international levels.
• True integration of traditional and modern systems is essential. Cross-learning and collaboration between the two systems should be facilitated on equal terms.
• The Chinese experience of integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine with Western medicine can serve as a valuable example.
• India can envision a similar integration of education, research, and practice for both systems. This can be achieved through curriculum changes and providing training in modern medicine for AYUSH practitioners and vice versa.
• Prerequisites for effective integration should be addressed through substantial groundwork.
• Building a robust evidence base for traditional medicine is necessary.
• Standardization and regulation of AYUSH practices and qualifications should be prioritized.
• The relative strengths, weaknesses, and roles of each system should be defined within an integrated framework.
• Philosophical and conceptual divergences between systems should be addressed.
• Unique challenges associated with researching AYUSH techniques should be tackled.
• An integrated framework should strike a balance between the two systems, allowing for some autonomy while fostering collaboration.
• Considering the ongoing drive for universal healthcare in India and the potential of AYUSH to contribute to this cause, a medium- and long-term plan for seamless integration should be developed promptly.