Associated News Bureau

J&K Approves AYUSH Action Plan, Eyes Wellness Tourism and Expanded Healthcare Outreach

Srinagar, June 2: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Tuesday stressed the need to strengthen AYUSH infrastructure, expand public outreach and promote wellness tourism in Jammu and Kashmir while chairing the Governing Body meeting of the J&K AYUSH Society under the National AYUSH Mission (NAM). During the meeting, the State Annual Action Plan (SAAP) 2026–27 was approved for submission to the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India. The meeting was attended by the Additional Chief Secretary, Finance; Commissioner Secretary, Planning; Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education; Managing Director, National Health Mission; Director AYUSH; and other senior officers. Highlighting the growing role of AYUSH systems in preventive and holistic healthcare, the Chief Secretary called for the formulation of a robust wellness policy in partnership with private stakeholders. He said wellness tourism has emerged as a major attraction across the country and noted that Jammu and Kashmir possesses immense potential to become a leading wellness and healthcare destination owing to its internationally acclaimed tourist locations. Dulloo directed the department to ensure the availability of major AYUSH public welfare programmes in all Medical Colleges and District Hospitals across the Union Territory. He also emphasized expanding the outreach and coverage of these initiatives to maximize public benefit. The Chief Secretary further instructed the department to strengthen monitoring mechanisms through regular inspections of AYUSH healthcare facilities and educational institutions. He also called for the establishment of herbal gardens in government institutions and the involvement of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the processing and value addition of medicinal herbs to promote livelihood generation and indigenous medicinal products. To improve academic standards and institutional functioning, he stressed the need for expediting faculty recruitment in AYUSH colleges through designated recruiting agencies. Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, Shailendra Kumar, advised the department to focus on consolidating and enhancing existing facilities for more efficient delivery of AYUSH services. He observed that optimal utilization of available resources would generate better outcomes than dispersing resources across multiple initiatives. Addressing the issue of substance abuse, Kumar also advocated the integration of AYUSH interventions in rehabilitation programmes for drug abuse victims and urged the department to actively contribute to the ongoing Nasha Mukt Abhiyaan. Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education, M. Raju, informed the meeting that the proposed Annual Action Plan was developed following extensive consultations with district-level AYUSH functionaries and heads of AYUSH medical colleges. He said the plan envisages significant investments in healthcare infrastructure, human resource development, institutional capacity building and quality service delivery. Director AYUSH, Dr. Ajay Kumar Tikoo, informed the Governing Body that while the Ministry of AYUSH had indicated a tentative resource envelope of ₹58.539 crore, the Union Territory had proposed a comprehensive action plan worth ₹91.997 crore in view of the increasing demand for AYUSH facilities and effective utilization of previous allocations. He said the plan includes strengthening 523 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, augmenting AYUSH units in public health institutions, ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential medicines, upgrading existing AYUSH hospitals and dispensaries, and accelerating the completion of healthcare facilities in underserved areas. The Governing Body also approved the reconstitution of the Executive Committee of the J&K AYUSH Society to strengthen governance and implementation of the National AYUSH Mission. Reaffirming the government’s commitment to strengthening AYUSH systems, the Chief Secretary emphasized the need for enhanced healthcare infrastructure, wider outreach programmes and greater public awareness to ensure accessible, affordable and holistic healthcare services for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. ANB