Cantt’s Military Hospital to offer ayurvedic treatment

The Ahmedabad Cantonment’s Military Hospital on the Airport Road will begin offering ayurvedic treatment from May 1. The facility will be available to civilians and armed forces personnel.

The first-of-its-kind initiative by the Defence and Ayush Ministry will offer ayurvedic treatment at 37 cantonment hospitals and 12 military hospitals of Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) across the country in the first phase. The military hospital in Ahmedabad Cantonment is one of the hospitals to offer treatment.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Ministry of AYUSH (MoA) signed two MoUs at the three-day Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit organised in Gandhinagar a week ago. The MoUs pertain to setting up Ayurveda centres at 37 cantonment hospitals and 12 military hospitals of AFMS.

Special Secretary at MoA, Pramod Kumar Pathak, DGAFMS Surg Vice Admiral Rajat Datta and Additional Director General Defence Estates, Sonam Yangdol were signatories to the MoUs.

Union Secretary, Pramod Kumar Pathak told Mirror that in the first phase 37 cantonment and 12 military hospitals will offer ayurvedic services. “Later more such hospitals across the country and Gujarat will be added to the list in a phased manner,” said Pathak.

He said initially the MoA will provide the ayurvedic doctors and other support required to establish ayurvedic treatment facilities at these hospitals. “Later, the armed forces can manage it on their own once it becomes self-sustained,” he said.

The Centre has increased its budget for the Ayush sector from Rs 691 crore in 2014 to Rs 3,050 crore in the last budget.

The market for Ayush products has also grown exponentially from Rs 22,000 crore in 2014 to Rs 1.14 lakh crore.