Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said it is Modi government's "dream" to accord ayurveda its "glorious place" in the medical world and his ministry will set up a separate regulatory body for Indian medicines, which besides homeopath come under Ayush department.
The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) coming up at Jasola in Delhi will admit the first batch of post-graduate students during academic year 2015-16 and have a 200-bed, seven-storey referral hospital which will begin admitting patients in six months, he said.
Am Arogya Expo, which will be a 'health mela (fare)' on ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy, will have products exhibited by over 500 pharma companies and consultations and medicines will be free, Vardhan said.
Health Ministers of 26 countries have been invited for the event.
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Terming Ayurveda as "fifth veda", he said the conference will have five plenary sessions and 25 technical sessions on 15 research themes. In all, 750 scientific papers will be presented by scientists from India, Germany, Italy, USA, Argentina, Russia and many other countries.
"The public will be invited to see for themselves the wonders of our traditional medicines. We will open free consultation facilities where Ayush doctors will examine all those who turn up and distribute free medicines. Live yoga sessions are also planned," Vardhan, an ENT surgeon himself, said.