Amid the controversy of adopting an evidence-based strategy and digitising healthcare, the ministry of Ayush is about to organise a two-day convention in Guwahati, News18 has learnt.

The programme, referred to as Chintan Shivir, is slated to start on February 26. It will evaluate and deliberate on the insurance policies and plans required for fuelling the expansion of the Ayush sector.

Ayush is an acronym for conventional and complementary programs of medication adopted in India, specifically Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, and Homoeopathy.

While the ministry continues to be fine-tuning the ultimate visitor listing and agenda, the two-day convention can be presided over by the union minister of Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the minister of state, Dr Munjapara Mahendrabhai.

The tentative visitor listing contains high officers equivalent to Rajesh Bhushan (secretary, well being), Roli Singh (mission director, National Health Mission), VK Paul (member, Niti Aayog), Dr Bhushan Patwardhan (analysis head, Ayush ministry), Dr GN Singh (adviser to the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh) amongst others.

The periods will start with a dialogue on “digital well being and know-how in Ayush”, according to the draft of the agenda seen by News18.

On the first day, other sessions will discuss research in Ayush, future strategies, and challenges. The discussion holds relevance as the traditional and complementary system of medicines faces a trust deficit from a certain section and is labelled as pseudoscience due to a lack of evidence.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi promoting the use of Ayush-based therapies and medicines — especially during the outbreak of Covid — the ministry has moved its focus towards the generation of evidence, similar to the scientific records of modern medicine.

Other sessions, on day one, will focus on Ayush-based education and future initiatives, capacity building, employment generation, and new education policy.

On the second day, experts will discuss challenges in the drug industry, the use of Ayush in public health, and challenges. The conference will end after the presentation of reports and roadmaps by the ministry officials and team of Invest India.

Invest India falls under India’s National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency, which is an arm of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion in the ministry of commerce.

Several other ministries have planned Chintan Shivirs including the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHF&W) and the department of personnel and training (DoPT).

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