Will military hospitals get Ayush OPDs? Minister writes to Rajnath Singh

Union AYUSH Minister Prataprao Jadhav has written to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh proposing the expansion of AYUSH treatment services across military and field hospitals by setting up dedicated outpatient departments (OPDs) for armed forces personnel.

In a letter to Singh, Jadhav said the integration of India's traditional systems of medicine with the existing healthcare infrastructure of the Armed Forces Medical Services could strengthen preventive, promotive and holistic healthcare for soldiers serving in diverse and challenging operational environments.

The minister noted that while AYUSH facilities are available at a limited number of institutions under the Ministry of Defence, many military and field hospitals do not have dedicated AYUSH services.

He proposed establishing AYUSH OPDs and treatment facilities across all such hospitals to improve access to evidence-based traditional healthcare, particularly in preventive care, lifestyle management, rehabilitation and overall well-being.

Jadhav said the inclusion of AYUSH services would complement the existing healthcare system and contribute to a more comprehensive and patient-centric model of care for defence personnel.

He also said the move would help integrate India's traditional systems of medicine more closely with the country's public healthcare delivery framework.

The AYUSH minister requested the Defence Ministry to consider the proposal and said his ministry was ready to provide technical support, professional guidance and institutional cooperation, including signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU), to facilitate its implementation.

“The proposed collaboration reflects the Government's continued commitment to promoting an integrative healthcare approach and ensuring that the benefits of India's traditional systems of medicine are made available to a wider section of society, including the nation's Armed Forces personnel,” an official statement said.