Anyone under the impression that the oomph generated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on World Yoga Day has fuelled the popularity of other traditional or AYUSH therapies will be disappointed to learn otherwise.

Most Indians still seek the services of private, allopathic doctors when they are unwell, confirms a recent survey by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO).

The majority of urban and rural respondents in the survey expressed a preference for private doctors and allopathic treatments over AYUSH remedies, reflecting the higher value attributed to modern medicine.

Nothing has changed despite Modi’s move to upgrade Indian systems of medicine by establishing a ministry for ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy (AYUSH) last year, and allocating ?1,200 crore towards this end.

Taking the pulse

The new health policy pitches AYUSH as a panacea for the health problems that plague the country’s 1.2 billion people...............Read more

Source web page: Business Line