NAM: Upgrading Ayush dispensaries and operationalization of Ayush Health & Wellness Centres as Ayushman Arogya Mandir
The Ministry of Ayush said the National Ayush Mission has approved the operationalisation of Ayush Health & Wellness Centres by upgrading Ayush dispensaries and Sub Health Centres.
- The two missions operate as a shared-responsibility framework for Ayush service delivery in public health facilities.
- Ayush facilities are being placed at Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres and District Hospitals to allow patient choice under one roof.
- States and Union Territories have reported that the upgraded Ayush Health & Wellness Centres are functional.
The Ministry of Ayush said that the National Ayush Mission (NAM) has approved the operationalisation of 12,500 Ayush Health & Wellness Centres, now known as Ayushman Arogya Mandir (Ayush), by upgrading Ayush dispensaries and Sub Health Centres. The announcement matters because it reflects the government’s strategy of integrating Ayush services into primary health care rather than treating them as a separate service line.
Background and earlier position
The Centre has been pursuing co-location of Ayush facilities at Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres and District Hospitals. Under this model, patients can access different systems of medicine at a single health facility. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare supports Ayush doctors and paramedics through the National Health Mission (NHM), while the Ministry of Ayush supports Ayush infrastructure, equipment, furniture and medicines under NAM.
UPSC can frame the topic around primary health-care delivery, co-location of systems of medicine, Centre-State responsibilities under the National Ayush Mission and National Health Mission, and the implementation gap between approved facilities and functional service delivery.
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