JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Health and Medical Education and Social Welfare Sakeena Itoo on Wednesday said Ayurveda complements modern healthcare by promoting preventive care, healthy lifestyles and community wellbeing.
Speaking at the 11th Ayurveda Day celebrations organised by the Directorate of AYUSH in Jammu, Itoo said a healthy society requires not only hospitals and medicines but also awareness, prevention and responsible use of natural resources.
She said Ayurveda, as part of India’s traditional knowledge system, is gaining wider recognition and has an important role in preventive healthcare and wellness. The minister also stressed the need to strengthen integration of AYUSH services with the mainstream healthcare system, including greater co-location of AYUSH facilities in healthcare institutions.
Highlighting developments in the sector, Itoo referred to the 50-bed Integrated AYUSH Hospital at Kulgam, ongoing work on AYUSH hospitals in Kathua and Samba, and the Government Ayurvedic Medical College and Hospital at Amargarh in Sopore. She also said district-level AYUSH administration had been strengthened through the creation and filling of District AYUSH Officer posts.
The minister highlighted Jammu and Kashmir’s medicinal plant resources and initiatives such as herbal gardens in schools, farmer training programmes and medicinal plant cultivation. She also noted the participation of over 87,000 people in International Day of Yoga events in 2026 and the role of AYUSH services during the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra.
Principal Government Medical College Jammu Ashutosh Gupta delivered a presentation on Ayurveda and cancer, focusing on research opportunities and the need for scientific validation and collaboration among institutions.
Director AYUSH Ajay Kumar Tikoo, in his keynote address, spoke about the expansion of AYUSH services across Jammu and Kashmir and the importance of linking traditional knowledge with research and innovation.
Senior officials from the health sector and former officers of the Directorate of AYUSH attended the event.
