Chandigarh’s first AYUSH hospital likely to be inaugurated next year

In 2019, Chandigarh AYUSH department had provided the engineering department ₹1.5 crore for commencing the construction work, and subsequently, another ₹72 lakh were provided to complete the project, as per health department officials

The much awaited 50-bedded AYUSH (ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy) hospital being built in Sector 34 is likely to be inaugurated by 2024, said Rajesh Kotecha, secretary, ministry of ayurveda during “meet the press” programme organised at Chandigarh Press Club on Wednesday.

The first phase of the project was supposed to come up with 25 beds and only ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy and homoeopathy services will be offered at the hospital in Chandigarh. (HT File)

Union minister of state for AYUSH and women & child development Dr Munjpara Mahendrabhai had a detailed discussion with the journalists about the 8th Ayurveda Day on November 10 and the achievements of the ministry of AYUSH in the last nine years.

In 2019, the UT AYUSH department had provided the engineering department ₹1.5 crore for commencing the construction work, and subsequently, another ₹72 lakh were provided to complete the project, as per health department officials.

The first phase of the project was supposed to come up with 25 beds and only ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy and homoeopathy services will be offered at the hospital. The remaining 25 beds were to be added during the second phase, and unani and siddha techniques were to be introduced, but the project has been hanging since 2019.

The Sector-34 integrated hospital will be the first of its kind in Chandigarh, while AYUSH health and wellness centres are providing out-patient services across the UT.

Mahendrabhai said farmers, students and the public from about 100 countries joined the Ayurveda for One Health campaign and till date around 12 crore people had given their cooperation and support to the campaign.

The minister said several organisations associated with the ministry of AYUSH have connected the farmers, youth and public with the campaign through various activities.

Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), the nodal agency for organising Ayurveda Day’ has developed a micro website —www.ayurvedaday.org.in— to connect people from all over the world with the campaign.

Every year on the day of Dhanvantari Jayanti, Ayurveda Day is organised by the ministry of AYUSH. This year the global campaign will be celebrated on Ayurveda Day in Panchkula.

Haryana assembly speaker Gian Chand Gupta is expected to preside over the main Ayurveda Day function, while Sarbananda Sonowal, Union AYUSH minister, will be the guest of honour. Union minister of state for AYUSH Dr Munjpara Mahendrabhai will also be present as a special guest in the two-day programme.