Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday said he was committed to making Jammu and Kashmir a hub of medical and wellness tourism, noting the setting up of several AYUSH hospitals and wellness centres in the Union Territory.
He said the government is all set to make 129 health and wellness centers operational by March 2024 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking at an event organised by the Ministry of Ayush at the University of Kashmir, the LG said J&K has been a major centre of the Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) since “ancient times”.
According to Kalhana’s Rajtarangini, a well-developed Ayurveda hospital was functional in “those days”, Sinha told the gathering of health professionals and practitioners of ISM. Kalhana wrote that J&K had flourishing Ayurvedic drug manufacturing units and Ayurvedic pharmacies, he said.
Sinha made the remarks while addressing a consultative meeting on ‘Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission – Heal in India, Heal by India’, organised by National Commission for Indian System of Medicine, Ministry of AYUSH.
J&K is bestowed with nature’s bounty and rich medicinal plants giving it tremendous potential for startups, LG Sinha said.
“We are committed to investment and innovation in AYUSH and to strengthen the traditional system of medicines,” he said.
J&K is fully prepared to become an important centre of AYUSH and ‘Heal in India’ campaign, which will not only promote medical tourism in the Union Territory, but also create immense business and employment opportunities in the health care sector, he said.
The LG also highlighted several milestones achieved in J&K in the AYUSH sector.
Sinha said Ayurvedic Medical College and Hospital at Akhnoor and Unani Medical College and Hospital at Ganderbal have been set up, besides upgrading 442 AYUSH dispensaries.
Five more 50-bedded integrated AYUSH hospitals in Kulgam, Kathua, Kupwara, Kishtwar and Samba have been approved, he said.
Six specialised AYUSH wellness centres have been approved for popular tourist destinations, including Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonamarg. Three of these are already operational, he added.
Sinha expressed satisfaction over the recently concluded third tourism working group meeting of G20 countries, the Y20 event conducted here as well as an event linked to World Milk Day conducted on Thursday.
“Such type of international events were held after a long time, even the first time in J&K,” the LG said.
“I believe that when we conduct such kind of successful events, it results in reinforcing the beliefs of people,” he added.
He said the world has recognized the Indian System of Medicine as the oldest, effective and scientific health system for prevention and cure. “Now the time has come to connect the new generation with this heritage and rich legacy to ulfil the vision of ‘One Earth, One Health’,” he added.
At the consultative meet, the Lt Governor shared the efforts to strengthen the basic health infrastructure, promote medical tourism in the J&K UT and provide the people with access to world class, affordable and quality healthcare services.
Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of AYUSH and J&K administration are “working together with the vision of ‘One Earth, One Health’ to serve the global community through integrated and ancient Indian System of medicine,” he said.
The LG also shared suggestions for integrating local health traditions with the mainstream of Ayurveda by promoting people’s science preserved for centuries and transcribing the rich and diverse Indian medicine knowledge in simple language for the new generation.
It is also necessary to understand the roots of the traditional system to establish harmony between the Registry of Professionals and the Registry of Facility and all other disciplines of medicine, he added.
Vaidya Shri Jayant Deopujari, Chairman National Commission for Indian System of Medicine and Prof. (Vaidya) Rakesh Sharma, President, Board of Ethics and Registration, also spoke on the occasion and threw light on the key features of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and the aims and objectives of consultative meeting.
Prof. Nilofer Khan, Vice Chancellor, Kashmir University; Bhupinder Kumar, Secretary, Health & Medical Education Department; Ayushi Sudan, State Mission Director, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission; senior officials from National Health Authority, ISM and UT Administration; HoDs and scores of health professionals and Ayurvedacharya were present.
