|
Centre to fast-track public health interventions with Ayush therapy protocols
|
|
Nandita Vijay, Bengaluru
April 17 , 2021
|
|
|
Union government now pushes for grant-in-aid offering to fast-track public health interventions with Ayush therapy protocols. Those eligible for this financial assistance are the directorates of Ayush across the country, government colleges dealing with public health, non-profit and voluntary organizations working in the area of public health for at least five years and having a proven track record and a capable team comprising of health specialists.
Through the Scheme of Grant-In-Aid implemented with a district or taluk as a unit for the roll out, the objective of the government is to promote Ayush intervention for community health care, encourage institutionally qualified practitioners and enable their participation in different public health programmes.
The funding pattern indicates that maximum Rs. 1.5 crore will be approved for a three year period. This amount would be released in three installments of 40%, 40% and 20% of the total amount sanctioned. The second and third installment will be released after receiving satisfactory achievement-cum-performance report and on expenditure of at least 75% of released amount and after acceptance of the progress.
The activities for which funding will include would be printing of handbooks, pamphlets, leaflets for the purpose of training to the Ayush and allopathic doctors on proven Ayush interventions in public health. It will also be allotted for medicine distribution and free medical camps preferably for rural, tribal population and slums in cities. Also the amount will also be offered for only accepted formulations which are proven treatments in Ayush and not for new drug experiments.
Further, not more than 25% of the total grant can be expended for project management and not less than 50% on medicines. The remaining 25% of the total grant can be for Ayush awareness and investment of basic equipment. The government noted that it was vital that the proposal needed to indicate component and year-wise cost details of the project. For this only 10% variation would be permissible within the approved project cost. A bond with a validity of not less than 3 years should be obtained from non-profit or voluntary organizations before the release of grant.
The Ayush department would not take responsibility for either the staff employed by the organization or any other liability other than the grant sanctioned for the project duration. Further the department also has the right recover the grant with 12% interest from the date of release of fund or take legal action against the organization for any default or deviation from the terms & conditions of approved project, stated the government note.
There is also a monitoring mechanism where up to 2% of the total cost of the project can be utilized for supervision. The state government where project is implemented will be involved in the monitoring of the project.
India currently accounts for around 7.20 lakh Ayush practitioners across urban, semi-urban and rural areas. The government noted that their potential has been unutilized to improve healthcare delivery system, create awareness about Ayush to tackle nutritional deficiencies, epidemics and vector-borne diseases. Now this grant has opened vistas for Indian system of medicine to play a pivotal public health.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOPICS
|
That foods might provide therapeutic benefits is clearly not a new concept. ...
|
|
|
|
|