Government pushes to globalise Ayush, signs deal with 10 countries

NEW DELHI: India is pushing for recognition of Ayurveda in developed countries, buoyed by Switzerland’s nod to put the ancient medicine system under health insurance

Published on: Sep 12, 2016, 07:59:49 IST

By Rhythma Kaul

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NEW DELHI: India is pushing for recognition of Ayurveda in developed countries, buoyed by Switzerland’s nod to put the ancient medicine system under health insurance cover.

“Switzerland has enacted legislation to enable Ayurveda therapy’s use in their healthcare system, and admissible for reimbursement by complimentary insurances, which is encouraging for us,” said Ajith M Sharan, secretary at the Ayush ministry.

India exports close to Rs 2,000 crore of Ayurvedic products such astulsi, ashwagandha and neem as food supplements because they do not meet the trial standards of pharmaceutical drugs. “It is a regulatory issue as it is easier to get the products registered as nutraceuticals or food supplements rather than as medicines. And each product needs to be registered separately, which is not easy,” Sharan said.

Private companies are selling Ayurvedic products abroad and the Ayush ministry is working to ensure these items are acknowledged as medicine .“But it will be a long-drawn process,” Sharan said.

In its bid to globalise Ayush, the ministry has signed memorandums of understanding in the field of traditional supplementary medicine with 10 countries, including China, Trinidad and Tobago, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mongolia and Hungary.

In a first, the Ayush ministry will organise a two-day BRICS wellness workshop in Bengaluru to exchange expertise in traditional medicine.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rhythma Kaul
Rhythma Kaul is the national health editor of the Hindustan Times. She has been reporting on public health, medicine, and medical research, with a particular focus on how government decisions and health system reforms shape people’s lives. Rhythma has over 25 years of journalistic experience. She joined Hindustan Times in 2008, and has since covered everything from pandemics and infectious diseases to cutting‑edge medical research and climate‑related health challenges. Her stories routinely track the work of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, department of pharmaceuticals, and key national health programmes, making complex medical science and policy accessible to a wide audience. One of her prominent news breaks has been the 2012 Baby Falak case: A two-year-old brutally battered baby girl was admitted to AIIMS-Delhi with severe head injuries, multiple fractures, human bite marks, and burns. The police investigation revealed this to be a case of multi-state human-trafficking racket. She was profiled by The Wall Street Journal for breaking this story. Rhythma holds a Master’s degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Prior to Hindustan Times, she worked with the India Today Group. Rhythma can be contacted at rhythma.kaul@hindustantimes.com. Her X handle is @RamblingBrook.Read More

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