State Health department organises 3-day fair to promote AYUSH

Kolkata: With an aim to promote Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), one of the oldest methods of treatment in the country, the state health department organised the three-day Arogya Fair starting from Friday at Triangular Park with the help of AYUSH ministry and ASSOCHAM.

A comprehensive health fair on Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Sidhha and Homeopathy mainly focuses on the felicitation and promotion of AYUSH way of life in the region. Bengal has a huge resource of medical plants and it had an old tradition of using natural cures for various ailments. The main purpose of the initiative is to showcase strength of Indian systems of medicines and the people can get benefits from the traditional treatment.

Various health checkup camps will be conducted in the fair till March 3. There are also free medicine camps and free yoga advice for students and housewives and free interactive sessions on health care are also being conducted. Various medicinal companies from across the state have put up stalls in the fair.

State power minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay inaugurated the fair. He said that Bengal government has done significant improvement in the AYUSH sector in the state. A separate department has been created in the name of AYUSH in the state to implement various projects in a better way.

The minister also stressed on the awareness programme to bring more number of people into the system.

There are many diseases which can be better treated through the AYUSH system, Chattopadhyay said.

It may be mentioned that the state government has taken several steps for promotion of the one of the oldest and traditional forms of treatment. The reason behind taking the step is that AYUSH system of medication has a significant role in delivering healthcare as it is very cost effective. Measures were also taken to set up integrated hospital dedicated to AYUSH in various districts.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after coming to power had laid emphasis on building infrastructure in Ayush and asked the health department officials to take steps to revamp Ayush infrastructure in the

state.

A separate department has been formed headed by a minister to accelerate various Ayush projects. Separate units of Ayush have been set up in the subsidiary health care units in all the districts of the state.