Bihar to set up Ayush society soon

The government has decided to set up a State Ayush Society to give a boost to alternative medicine in the state. The society will be set up as part of the Centre's National Ayush Mission and registered under the Society Registration Act.

State's director general (Ayush) Satyendra Kumar said to begin with, the society will focus on creating awareness among people regarding alternative fields of medicine, such as Ayurveda, Yoga and naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Aayush). "The society will also look after recruitment of teachers and doctors in medical colleges. The government will urge the farmers to support cultivation of medicinal plants," Kumar added.

Various measures to promote Ayush, such as awareness campaigns in educational institutions and promotional advertisements through radio, television and print media, are also planned by the government.

"We are studying the functioning of the Ayush societies in 15 states of the country and adopt the most suitable model for Bihar," deputy director (Ayush) Dr Jhulan Prasad Singh said, adding the society will have an executive body which will be chaired by principal secretary of state health department R K Mahajan and Ayush director general Satyendra Kumar.

"The five departments - Ayurveda, Unani, Homoeopathy, Siddha and Yoga - will have separate directors, who will also be the members of the executive body of the society. Principal secretaries of various departments will be other members of the society. Currently, Ayush doctors posted in various primary health centres across the state report to the civil surgeon of the district concerned. After its formation, the society will monitor the functioning of the Ayush doctors," Dr Singh said.

Members of the Ayush Medical Association (AMA) have welcomed the government's move to form the society. President of AMA Dr Madhurendu Pandey said, "Many posts are vacant in government's Ayurveda colleges and hospitals in Bhagalpur, Buxar, Darbhanga and Begusarai districts. Admissions in these hospitals are banned as per the norms of Central Council of Indian Medicine. With the formation of the society, problems being faced by 3,021 contractual Ayush practitioners in the state will be solved."