Recommendations to Planning Commission for AYUSH

Working Group recommends 12 times hike in allocation for Ayush during 12th Plan

Joseph Alexander, New Delhi Tuesday, November 29, 2011, 08:00 Hrs  [IST]

The Working Group on Ayush set up by the Planning Commission has recommended a 12-fold increase in the allocation for the Department under the next Five Year Plan. Against Rs.3988 crore of the 11th Plan, it has suggested Rs.47,535.55 crore, including transfer of Rs.10,000 crore from National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) flexipool for implementation. The ongoing schemes of 11th Plan comprise of eleven Central Sector Schemes with allocation of Rs.2053 crore and three Centrally Sponsored Schemes with allocation of Rs.1935 crore. The total allocation amounted to Rs.3988 crore. The 38th Report of the Public Accounts Committee (2006-07) has seriously pointed out that the share of Ayush in the total health plan at the central level has been only 2 per cent in spite of the policy pronouncement of raising Ayush share to 10 per cent with designated growth of 5 per cent in every Five-Year Plan. Inadequate allocation for Ayush has been considered by PAC the main reason for not achieving the set targets, the working group said. “Accordingly, the 12th Plan allocation for Central and Centrally Sponsored Schemes is proposed to be enhanced almost by 7 times and 17 times respectively, including the transfer of Rs.10000 crore from NRHM Flexipool. This has led to total projected allocation of Rs.47535.55 crore (about 12 time-hike from 11th Plan allocation) to pave for effective implementation of projects in strategic thrust areas identified above and to step up the process of mainstreaming of Ayush,” the report said. Necessary updating and revision of the norms, without making any structural change or change in the funding pattern of the schemes, will be done to ensure that the objectives of the schemes are adequately met, project proposals in targeted thrust areas are properly funded and the outcomes happen to be of long term value for the Ayush sector, it said. The ongoing six schemes under Central Sector Schemes are strengthening of Department of Ayush, statutory institutions, hospitals and dispensaries, strengthening of Pharmacopoeial Laboratories, IEC and Ayush & Public Health function under the head of “System Strengthening”. In the 12th Plan, a provision of Rs.1409 crore has been proposed against the 11th Plan outlay of Rs.282.75 crore. A key component of the allocation is augmenting pharmacopoeia work to develop 1000 monographs and strengthening Pharmacopoeia Commission & associated laboratories to accelerate the work of standardization and quality parameters of ASU drugs as per global requirements and acceptability. Another component is providing support to build up the initiative of safety monitoring of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani drugs under the pharmacovigilance system, which was introduced in the country during the 11th Plan period, by designating one National Pharmacovigilance Resource Centre, 8 regional centres and 30 peripheral centres to develop the culture of reporting adverse drug reactions of ASU drugs (Rs.15 crore).