AYUSH in CGHS

HC orders Forces to pick up tab
August 04, 2011 12:51:37 AM

Staff Reporter | New Delhi

Despite a recommendation in 2002 that ayurveda, unani, homoeopathy and other systems of medicine be incorporated for purpose of reimbursement under the Central Government Health Scheme, the Indian Armed Forces do not recognise such systems of medicine for reimbursement of medical expenses. However, this is likely to change with the Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordering the Centre, the Army, Navy and Air Forces to look into the National Policy on Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy and frame a scheme for medical treatment/reimbursement for their employees.

A Division Bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna ordered the Central Government, the Army, Navy and Air Forces to look into the National Policy on Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy and frame a scheme for medical treatment/reimbursement for their employees particularly since such systems provide a cure for ailments that are otherwise not curable by allopathy. The court said that this needed to be done within three months.

The PIL, filed by advocate Arjun Harkauli, was based on a report in The Pioneer on July 20 which had highlighted the case of NSG commando PV Maneesh (Shaurya Chakra awardee) who was paralysed after being injured during operations during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. He had been paralysed on one side of the body and was also in coma for some time. It was only after he began ayurvedic treatment that he began recovering. However, the Rs 2,000 monthly expenditure on ayurveda was not reimbursed by the Army as its medical rules do not recognise it.

The irony of the situation is that despite the existence of AYUSH (Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) within the Health ministry and the widespread acceptability of traditional systems of medicine across the country, defence services personnel at present cannot claim reimbursement for any treatment apart from allopathy. According to the petition, the National Policy on Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy had in 2002 stated that ayurveda and other systems must be incorporated for purpose of reimbursement under the Central Government Health Scheme There are twice as many hospitals and practitioners of such systems than there are of allopathy. According to the policy, alternate systems of Indian medicine are cheap and provide solutions for ailments for which allopathy has no cure.