INDIA'S TRADITIONAL systems of medicine have seen increased focus in the last decade. The country currently relies on the practitioners of these systems, dubbed AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy and Sowa Rigpa), to improve healthcare coverage.
Last July, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar, announced in the Rajya Sabha that the country had reached a doctor-population ratio of 1:834, which is better than the World Health Organization (WHO)'s recommended ratio of 1:1,000. This ratio, said Pawar, was achieved by "assuming 80 per cent availability of registered allopathic doctors [a total of 1.3 million] and 565,000 AYUSH doctors" in the country.
If one were to only consider 80 per cent availability of the 1.3 million allopathic doctors for a population of 1.24 billion (as per Census 2011), the doctor-patient ratio would translate to 1:1,194, notes a December 2022 article in The Print.
Even as the Centre bets big on AYUSH practitioners-a majority of whom practise Ayurveda-the system currently in place in the country only raises concerns, particularly on the quality of education offered.
QUESTION OF STANDARD
Dedicated Ayurveda colleges in India have been on a rise, from 35 colleges in the 1940s to 453 colleges as of May 2022, says data with the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) under the Union AYUSH ministry. Of these, 352 institutes are private. However, these colleges are currently set up via a procedure that even the government has repeatedly questioned over the last two decades.
Bu hikaye Down To Earth dergisinin July 16, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Down To Earth dergisinin July 16, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
