Centre announces several initiatives to strengthen AYUSH sector in Uttarakhand

Haridwar (Uttarakhand) [India], December 16 (ANI): To boost the AYUSH infrastructure, the Ministry of AYUSH on Thursday announced a series of initiatives for the state of Uttarakhand.
The initiatives were announced under the National AYUSH Mission (NAM) scheme in order to promote Ayurveda, Unani, Naturopathy, herbal medicines and development of AYUSH Industry in the state.
According to the Ministry, Uttarakhand is rich in natural resources and vibrant traditions of AYUSH practices which have the capabilities to contribute to the healthcare needs of people in this region.
Addressing the AYUSH Samvaad here, Union Minister of AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal said that in the next decade AYUSH and the tourism sector will see significant growth in Uttarakhand. The government of India has invested Rs 1 lakh crore through various schemes in the state and is making concerted efforts to make Uttarakhand a progressive state.

"The initiatives and increased investment announced today will help accelerate the growth of the AYUSH sector. In addition, to ensure access to premier ayurvedic education, a 'Marma Chikitsa' training centre will be made in the Uttarakhand Ayurveda University as the nodal centre for the country, which will help students from across the country and world to specialize themselves in Ayurveda. Through this platform, I urge everyone to work towards making the idea of One Nation One India come true," the union minister said.
The AYUSH Ministry also announced establishing 10 bedded hospitals in the state;50-bedded upgraded AYUSH hospital in Kotdwar; 50-bedded Unani hospital in Pirankaliyar, Haridwar; establishment of Government Homeopathic Medical College at Doiwala; provision of mobile AYUSH units (AYUSH Raths) in each district to increase the availability of AYUSH services for the general public.
The Centre will also provide financial assistance for setting up 100 more AYUSH wellness centres in addition to the already existing ones to increase access and availability of AYUSH services to the public.

On this occasion, Uttrakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the state government will extend all support to the National AYUSH Mission to build and strengthen capacities and resources in the area of traditional medicine.
"As we will be celebrating the 25th foundation day of Uttarakhand, we have charted a road map for the development of the state. With joint efforts of central and state governments, Uttarakhand will be one of the progressive estates in the areas including AYUSH, healthcare, tourism, and education," emphasised Dhami.
To popularize the use of commonly available medicinal plants and generate awareness amongst students, National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) will support 200 school herbal gardens in the state. NMPB will support 13 nurseries in 13 districts to provide quality planting material to the farmers in Uttarakhand.
It was announced that assistance of Rs 15 lakhs per farmer group will be given for setting up a local cluster for value addition, drying, warehousing and augmenting marketing infrastructure for medicinal plants. (ANI)