New Delhi: The Ministry of AYUSH and AIIMS together have decided to set up an Integrative (Comprehensive) Medicine Department at AIIMS. The decision was taken by AYUSH Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha and AIIMS Director Dr. Randeep Guleria at a joint visit and review meeting of the Center for Integrative Medicine and Research (CIMR). CIMR receives support from the Excellent Center Scheme of the Ministry of AYUSH.
CIMR chief Dr. Gautam Sharma and senior officials of the Ministry of AYUSH were also present on the occasion. The ongoing modern research activities in the field of Yoga and Ayurveda were reviewed by ICMR and the research results were attractive. The Ministry of AYUSH and AIIMS decided to extend the duration of research collaboration in CIMR and to expand the scope of cooperation activities.
Considering the research work and other activities and achievements of CIMR, it was felt that dedicated OPD and IPD beds should be created as a next step for the development of CIMR. The AYUSH Secretary and the Director of AIIMS agreed that it is possible to develop a single Integrative Medical Department in the short term, given the increasing interest of patients in the CIMR at AIIMS and the research work of the Center. This department can be developed with dedicated faculty and staff to make it a permanent department at AIIMS.
The AYUSH Secretary assured that CIMR will continue to be supported by the Ministry of AYUSH until a dedicated department is developed. He said that it is time to adopt an integrated approach, given CIMR’s research results and encouraging new initiatives in Covid-19 research.
It was decided that CIMR and AIIMS could develop an integrated protocol of Ayurveda and Yoga on subsequent treatment of Covid-19. The Ministry of AYUSH can support this through the Extra Mural Research Scheme.
Progress in setting up of integrated AYUSH cancer health facilities at the National Cancer Institute, Jhajjar, Haryana was also reviewed. It was decided to speed up the process of early establishment and implementation of the center.
A team of senior officials visited CIMR and participated in the presentation on Covid-19 research works of CIMR. The AYUSH Secretary and the Director of AIIMS commended the personnel of CIMR for developing state-of-the-art research unit and for high quality treatment and research.