Voluntary certificate scheme (VCS) for AYUSH products & Accreditation of AYUSH hospitals
Increasing shift from Modern medicine to Traditional herbal medicines worldwide can be well evidenced by increasing size of world market for Herbal / Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani(ASU)drugs.
However, India is unable to take full advantage of this growth due to Quality related concerns of these ASU drugs. Department of AYUSH has taken a major initiative to improve quality standards in the AYUSH sector by partnering with Quality Council of India (QCI) in the areas of AYUSH Products, Hospitals, Drug Testing Labs and AYUSH Educational Institutes.
The following achievements have been made so far by the Department:
1. Voluntary certificate scheme (VCS) for AYUSH products
The scheme has been started since Oct, 2009, which has two levels of certification – For domestic market and international market, AYUSH standard and AYUSH premium marks are available respectively. The Voluntary certification scheme for product certification of AYUSH product would result in Quality seal being awarded to those who opt for third party evaluation. Till now 125 Premium marks and 95 standardmarks has been awarded to ASU products.
2. Accreditation of AYUSH hospitals
This scheme became operational since January, 2010. Accreditational and Structural standards for AYUSH hospitals have already been published (copy attached). Till now one Ayurveda hospital named Ayurvaid Hospital, Bangalore, has been accredited and 6 AYUSH Hospitals are under process.
3. Gap Study of AYUSH Drug Testing Labs
QCI has done Gap Study of Six State Drug Testing Labs viz Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad,Thiruvananthapuram, Joginder Nagar (H.P.) and West Bengal. The gaps have been brought to the notice of State Governments for bridging gaps either through Public Sector investment or through Public Private Partnership (PPP).
For details : http://www.indianmedicine.nic.in/showfile.asp?lid=596
Be the first to comment