Kerala tops in NABH accreditation among AYUSH institutions, says workshop on Ayurveda

Kottayam (Kerala), Sep 18 (PTI) Kerala leads the country with 250 AYUSH institutions receiving NABH accreditation, making it the only state where every institution applying for this health standard has been accredited, a national workshop on Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) was told on Thursday.

Kerala also showcased its robust achievements in IT solutions, infrastructure, human resources, and public outreach, presenting them as a model for the country.

The September 18-19 workshop, jointly organised by the National AYUSH Mission (Kerala), the State AYUSH Department, and the Union Ministry of AYUSH, is being held in Kumarakom.

Kerala's State AYUSH Mission Director Dr D Sajith Babu said Kerala is the only state with at least one Ayurveda and Homoeopathy dispensary in every panchayat, municipality, and corporation. Over 2,200 Ayurveda and homoeopathy dispensaries function under the State AYUSH Department.

Kerala also has a dedicated department for Indian systems of medicine, which include Ayurveda, Yoga, naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and also for homoeopathy.

Kerala is also preparing to integrate advanced technologies like IoT, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Blockchain into AYUSH sector operations, Babu added.

The Kerala government has increased the budget allocation under the National AYUSH Mission from Rs 24 crore to Rs 207 crore, reflecting the state's significant progress in the sector, he noted.

Kerala has also won the highest number of Kayakalp awards in the AYUSH sector for cleanliness, upkeep, infection control facilities, and service quality in public health centres, with 132 institutions receiving awards worth over Rs one crore in total.

The state has introduced a Civil Works Monitoring Software to track construction of AYUSH facilities in real time. Homoeopathy dispensaries have been fully digitised, with patient data maintained through IT systems. Real-time hospital stock management software is also in use.

As part of Kerala's "Government as a Marketplace" initiative to support the startup ecosystem, companies under Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) have been entrusted with developing and maintaining AYUSH apps.

These startups have been given a platform to showcase their IT products at the Kumarakom workshop.

Earlier, Kerala Health Minister Veena George inaugurated a 'National Workshop on IT Solutions in the AYUSH Sector'. She said the two-day event aimed at ushering in a digital framework to give a new direction to India's ancient health systems.

Noting that Kerala has been at the forefront of Ayurvedic medicine for long, she said the state developed a comprehensive wellness system rooted in ancient Indian texts dating back to more than 3,500 years.

"This holistic approach continues to be firmly embedded in Kerala's healthcare delivery and management, serving as a living testament to the enduring wisdom of our traditional practices," she added.

Bridging the digital divide is important to ensure that its benefits reached all sections of society, the minister told delegates at the workshop being organised by the National AYUSH Mission (NAM) Kerala in association with the state's AYUSH Department and the Union Ministry of AYUSH.

"The implementation of centralised IT solutions will bring about revolutionary changes in the AYUSH sector," she added. PTI TGB TGB KH