Northeast India can contribute greatly towards further spread of AYUSH: Assam CM

 GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday attended the first-ever 'Regional Review Meeting of North-Eastern States of India on AYUSH' organized by the National Ayush Mission, Assam, and the State's Health and Family Welfare Department in Guwahati.

Speaking at the event, the Chief Minister said the Northeastern States can immensely contribute towards the further spread of practices such as Ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, Unani, and homoeopathy among the residents of the country. Referring to Ayurveda and yoga, among others, as time-tested practices, the Chief Minister said AYUSH is gradually rising in prominence as the focus tilts towards holistic well-being. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the National Ayush Mission to propagate the practice of traditional systems of treatments and medicine, provide a boost to related educational infrastructure, and ensure quality control, the chief minister stated, adding that these efforts have gradually started to bear fruit as AYUSH gains international recognition from numerous quarters. He added that initiatives such as International Yoga Day are also contributing greatly to raising the awareness of the general public across the globe about the health benefits associated with the practice of the ancient Indian tradition of yoga.

The Chief Minister also stressed the need to capitalize on the opportunities that have been created with the recent mainstreaming of AYUSH practices across the country. He called upon the youths from across the country in general and those from the North-eastern States in particular to make the best use of the entrepreneurial opportunities the AYUSH sector is offering, while adding that at present, as many as 40,000 units of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are involved in the production of AYUSH-related items and that the sector can accommodate a much greater number of production units owing to the steady increase in demand for such products. Referring to the north-eastern region of the country as a treasure trove of economically viable plants and herbs with medicinal properties, he said the eight states of the region must strive to attain a status similar to that of Kerala in the field of tourism for traditional medicinal healing and cure. This would contribute to the growth of the tourism and hospitality industries and create a good number of employment opportunities in the region, he added.

The Chief Minister expressed concern at the trend of AYUSH doctors and practitioners often prescribing allopathic medicine to their patients. This can be attributed to a lack of pride regarding AYUSH among some of the practitioners of alternative and traditional forms of medicine, the chief minister said, adding that it has now been proven through various research works that traditional forms of treatments such as Ayurveda, yoga, and naturopathy are highly effective and have no side effects as often seen in the use of allopathic medicines.

The Chief Minister exuded confidence that the North-eastern States would emerge as one of the hotspots of AYUSH practices in the days to come. He thanked the Union Minister of AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the AYUSH Ministry's Minister of State, Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai, for their ministry's relentless attempts to propagate the practice of traditional forms of medicine and treatments.

Union Minister of AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of State for AYUSH Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai, Manipur Minister of Health, Family Welfare, and AYUSH Dr. Sapam Ranjan Singh, Assam Minister of Health and Family Welfare Keshab Mahanta, Sikkim Health Minister Kunga Nima Lepcha, Arunachal Pradesh Health and Family Welfare Minister Alo Libang, Tripura Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy, and Mizoram Health Minister Dr. R. Lalthang Liana, along with a host of other dignitaries, were also present, stated a press release.

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