The Centre has decided to open Integrative Medicine Centres at all government medical establishments in the country especially at AIIMS, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday.
Opening such centres will help in harmonising the Indian and modern systems of medicine and providing joint multidisciplinary care to patients, Mandaviya said. The health minister and Union Minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday jointly inaugurated an Integrative Medicine Centre at the Department of Integrative Medicine of All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) at Safdarjung Hospital here.
Integrative medicine is aimed at harnessing the potential of India's rich heritage and medical knowledge, along with using modern advancements in allopathy, Mandaviya said. Both traditional and modern medical practices would help in providing better avenues of health and wellness, he said.
"It is, thus, the need of the hour that different medical systems must not compete but complement each other. Only then we can ensure the wellbeing of our citizens and further help in achieving health for all," he said. Mandaviya stated that the health and wellness programs are being run in more than 1,56,000 Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) across the country.
"India has achieved opening more than 1.56 lakh HWCs before December 31, 2022 which are turning out to be crucial in providing various types of services to our citizens," he said. "The Government has decided to open such Integrative Medicine Centres at all government medical establishments, especially all AIIMS in the country," he said.
Mandaviya said that stakeholders like health sector experts, private medical sector are also pushing forward for this integrative medicine approach. Today, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other global counterparts are appreciating India's efforts in mainstreaming and streamlining different medicinal systems, he said.
