Sonowal addressing the inaugural function of Integrated AYUSH Hospital at Razha Chedema, Kohima on March 4. (Morung Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | March 4
Union Minister for AYUSH & Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal today announced an investment boost of more than Rs 100 crore for AYUSH Healthcare sector in Nagaland.
Inaugurating an Integrated AYUSH Hospital at Razha Chedema, Kohima, the Union Minister also announced that a 30-bedded AYUSH hospital would be developed at Kiphire, while 10 bedded hospitals would be set up in Mokokchung, Dimapur and Wokha. An Ayurvedic College would be developed with Rs 70 crores at Longleng, he added.
Noting that the Northeast has immense potential to become the hub for AYUSH healthcare, Sonowal said that Nagaland has lot of potential to be tapped. “With our rich traditional knowledge base in folk medicine and the bounty of flora that Mother Nature has blessed us with, it is important that we seize this opportunity. We can become the springboard for AYUSH sector in the country,” he said.
He said that the Ministry of AYUSH has been making a sincere attempt to unlock the huge value that the rich bio-diverse region of Northeast possesses.
Sonowal said that to enable the people of Northeast, the Government of India had provided a shot in the arm for the AYUSH sector in the region with an investment of Rs 172 crore in Nagaland and Mizoram.
As many as ten new AYUSH hospitals will be built in these two states and one Ayurvedic college will be built, he said.
Sonowal said the government’s vision is to empower the rich Indian traditional medicinal practices such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Unnani, Siddha, Homoeopathy, Naturopathy, and Sowa Rigpa with modern scientific validation for wider and popular usage by the people.
He also emphasized on the importance of preserving folk medicine using modern scientific approach and tools, so that they can be useful for generations to come. “The holistic approach to patient care and healthy lifestyle includes both preventive as well as curative aspects. The AYUSH traditional medicinal practices have been traditionally taking care of both these aspects,” he said.
In this connection, he said, “In order to learn and leverage the folk medicine, the AYUSH ministry is conducting a multi centric research project to critically appraise and validate Local Health Traditions (LHT), Oral health Traditions (OHT) and Ethno Medicinal Practices (EMP) among ethnic communities of the Northeast.”
Meanwhile, Health & Family Welfare Minister S Pangnyu Phom said that the inauguration of this new Integrated AYUSH hospital, the state will have three fully functional AYUSH Hospitals, and two more are under construction.
In addition, five Ayush dispensaries are functioning as AYUSH Health & Wellness Centre flourishing and meeting the needs of the people while also helping the locals, rural people to preserve, cultivate and produce more of medicinal plants, thereby enabling them to earn their livelihood and benefitting health system in many aspects, he said.
Pangnyu said that the cost of the IAH, Razha Project which is spread over 3.50 acres was Rs 9.17 Cr, which was sanctioned in the year 2018.
