Co-Locating Modern and Traditional Systems of Medicine in One Place Government of India has been coordinating with the State Governments regarding the development of AYUSH sector including the issue of establishing a separate AYUSH department in the States to effectively implement various initiatives of the Central Government. In the first ever convened State/UT AYUSH/Health Ministers conference held on 20.02.2015, Ministry of AYUSH again drew the attention of State/UT Ministers and state officials for the need for separate AYUSH Department for the optimum growth of the AYUSH sector and all States/UTs need to have a separate AYUSH Directorate. Several letters & reminders have also been sent to States/UTS for mainstreaming of AYUSH and strengthening of administrative structure of AYUSH. Under National AYUSH Mission (NAM), Government of India has been encouraging co-location of AYUSH facilities at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and District Hospitals (DHs) in all the States/UTs. Support to States/UTs under National Health Mission (NHM) is provided for engagement of AYUSH doctors/paramedics on contractual basis in co-located public health facilities. The co-location of AYUSH facilities to various degrees is being undertaken in all States/UTs except in Kerala. As reported by Government of Kerala, State government is giving preference for separate AYUSH institutions than co-locating them in the existing allopathic health care institutions and presently there is separate Directorate that looks after the health care facilities of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems of medicine and separate Directorate of Homoeopathy that looks after health care facilities in Homoeopathy. This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik in a written reply to a starred question in the Rajya Sabha.
