National Missions
The National AYUSH Mission (NAM) was launched in September 2014 and is being implemented by Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy). The objectives of NAM are:
i) Promotion of AYUSH medical systems and to provide cost-effective universal access to AYUSH Services through upgrading AYUSH Hospitals and Dispensaries, co-location of AYUSH facilities at Primary and Community Health Centres, District Hospitals as well as better availability of drugs and trained manpower;
ii) Revitalizing and strengthening the AYUSH systems, making them as prominent medical streams in addressing societal health care;
iii) Improving and enhancing Institutions imparting AYUSH education;
iv) Facilating the enforcement of quality control of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani & Homoeopathy (ASU&H) drugs and Good Agricultural/ Collection/ Storage Practices for ensuring sustained supply of quality raw-materials;
v) Supporting setting up of clusters through convergence of cultivation, warehousing, value addition, marketing and development of infrastructure for entrepreneurs.
NAM intends to build on India's unmatched heritage represented by its ancient systems of medicine i.e. ASU&H, which are a treasure house of knowledge for preventive, promotive and curative healthcare. The distinctive features of the Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) i.e. their diversity and flexibility, accessibility, affordability, broad acceptance by a large section of the public, comparatively lesser cost and growing economic value, have great potential to make them providers of healthcare that the large sections of our people need. NAM would also facilitate increased awareness and acceptance of Yoga and Naturopathy as promotive and preventive health-care systems as well as contribute significantly toward meeting increasing domestic demand for herbal raw-materials and also to promote export.
NAM aims to address the gaps in health services through supporting the efforts of State/UT Governments for providing AYUSH health services/education in the country, particularly in vulnerable and far-flung areas. Under NAM, special focus will be given for specific needs of such areas and for allocation of higher resources in their Annual Plans. In addition to augmentation in budgetary support, fiscal incentives and concessions available to modern pharmaceutical industry have been assured to the ISM sector too.