Projects of AYUSH Ministry's Centres of Excellence are innovative, creative, says research study

New Delhi [India], February 2 : After conducting an evaluation of the 18 Centres of Excellence of the AYUSH Ministry, the Centre for Market Research and Social Development said in its report on Tuesday that its projects were innovative and creative and helped upgrade facilities of AYUSH institutions to high levels.
A Ministry of AYUSH release said, "The evaluation study further noted that all the CoEs have credible governance structures and have also raised competent groups of core staffs in the fields in which the projects function."
Under the CoE Scheme of the Ministry of AYUSH, support is provided to reputed AYUSH institutions for upgrading their functions and facilities to levels of excellence. The Centres of Excellence selected under this Scheme are the institutions that engaged in activities like Clinical Research, AYUSH Healthcare (hospitals), Research-based on the fundamentals of AYUSH, Inter-disciplinary research in areas like pharmacognosy and pharmacology, Product development and bridging AYUSH and modern science.
The evaluation covered 18 Centres of Excellence from 10 different States, including Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Kerala. The purpose of the evaluation exercise was to assess the impact of the CoEs in achieving the objectives of the Scheme, and in assessing challenges, if any, faced by the organization for achieving the standards fixed by Ministry.
The healthcare services provided by these Centres include integrated cancer treatment incorporating Ayurveda solutions, Ayurvedic treatment for conditions like bronchial asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, geriatric care through Regimental Therapy (Ilaj bil tadbeer) of Unani medicine, quality ophthalmologic care through Ayurveda and Homoeopathic care for disability.
Some of the centres have produced results in areas critical for modernization and development of AYUSH practices, practices like tissue culture and genetic mapping critical for studies of medicinal plants, creation of pharmacopial drugs atlas and pharmacopial monographs, standardizing of operating procedures specific drugs of Ayurveda and Siddha and establishing practices of documentation and treatment protocols for specific disease conditions.
A major finding was that through the innovative and creative projects taken up by these Centres, they not only promoted AYUSH systems but also provided health care at quality hospitals having NABH accreditation. These CoEs have also succeeded in conducting Clinical Research for various diseases, Drug standardization, upgrading Quality Testing Laboratory and conducting research on medicinal plants. They also reached out to the public by developing IEC materials for the dissemination of services. Further, they promoted the Scientific Manufacturing of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani (ASU) drugs.
The study further observed that all the institutions given financial assistance under the scheme are of repute, financially sound, implementing the scheme as per the norms and objectives of the scheme and are serving the public well.
The geographic coverage analysis of the CoEs indicated that the CoEs are spread out across the country and that the impact of the projects is being felt in their regions as well as across the country. Further, the majority of the CoEs informed that they didn't face any issue in achieving the standard fixed by the Ministry.
The study found that beds are reserved for EWS patients in all the hospitals where IPD facility is available. Thus the CoEs are making a notable contribution in supporting the healthcare needs of the weaker sections.
The study observed that the efforts made by the CoEs in terms of research projects and research paper publication (44 in numbers) in national and international journals are notable too.
The study has noted that I.T. needs to be inducted more rigorously at these Centres. Presently, most of the CoEs (16 in number) didn't use software for the management of the database.