Integration of AYUSH & NRHM.
AYUSH medications included in the drug kit of ASHA.
Drugs supplied to PHC & CHC includes AYUSH medicines.
Two rooms in PHC & CHC for AYUSH practitioners.
Single doctor PHCs would be upgraded to two doctor centres by inducting AYUSH practitioner.
State government formed an elaborate policy for AYUSH which includes its activities and coordinates procurement of medicines.
LUCKNOW: After getting delayed for more than five years, the rural health infrastructure in state may witness some improvement as the health and family welfare department has finally decided to link local health streams -Ayurveda, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy(AYUSH) – with the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). The move allows hiring of AYUSH practitioners and purchase of medicines used in these streams at district-level to provide basic minimum health facilities, which at present are in poor state due to shortage of qualified allopathy doctors.
In fact, one of the main objective of the NRHM, when launched in 2005, was to revitalize AYUSH, which was traditionally a part of the public health system in rural areas earlier but gradually declined with time. While the AYUSH was introduced in many parts of the country, the objective remained unfulfilled in UP for five years.
However, now, as per the provisions of the NRHM, the AYUSH medications would be included in the drug kit of ASHA (accredited social health activist), who creates awareness about health related issues among rural masses. Further, the drugs supplied to health facilities such as primary and community health centers (CHC and PHC) will also include AYUSH medication. Also, in a CHC, two rooms would be provided for AYUSH practitioner and pharmacist as per norms. Moreover, single doctor PHCs would be upgraded to two doctor centres by inducting AYUSH practitioner.
The previous government initiated appointment of AYUSH doctors but the effort was marred by the shadow of the scam. “The problem areas have been addressed and we are heading in the right direction,” said, NRHM, Mukesh Meshram who has recently issued orders regarding coordination of work for taking AYUSH to the rural areas. This comes a week after the state government formed an elaborate policy for AYUSH which includes its activities and coordinates procurement of medicines.
Sources said that till now, there was no specific policy for procurement of alternatives medicines despite strong recommendations from the ministry of health. As per the policy, medicines would be procured at the district level by a committee comprising chief medical officer as member secretary, and district homeopathy officer, regional ayurvedic or unani officer, finance officer at CMO officer and district programme manager NRHM as members. As head of the district healthy committee, district magistrate would be the head of the said committee. [Source]
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