While a patient availing modern system of medical treatment (alopathy) is eligible for medical insurance under the world's largest health scheme, Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY), interestingly, the health cover is unavailable to the person who opts for alternative medicine system AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy).
This has angered the experts in the Ayush sector who feel that the denial of the medical insurance to the people who prefer treatment or getting relief under the traditional medical system speaks of the Government's double standard towards the traditional system of medicines which has a large number of takers.
"On the one hand, the Modi Government has been taking steps to expand and revive ayush including Ayurveda, on the other hand it has excluded the sector from one of the biggest medical insurance policy (AB-PMJAY)," said an ayurveda expert on the condition of anonymity.
Dr Anand K Chaudhary, Professor and Head of department of Ayurvedic Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Ayurveda in Banaras Hindu University has sought intervention of the Prime Minister in the matter.
He said that " Ayush should be covered under the Ayushman Bharat as more than 70 per cent people in the country directly or indirectly depend on herbs or plants by which medicines are prepared."
Dr Chaudhary in his letter to the PM, pointed out that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has included the traditional medicines of different countries in its project 'Health for all by 2020'. This is a befitting recognition of potency of traditional medicines of respective countries.
"If Ayush systems of medicines do not get its due recognition in its own country than how organisations like WHO may include Ayurveda in its global compendium being released in chapter 26 of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) by 2022 which may have business potency of US $ 50 billion in global markets," Dr Chaudhary maintained.
Echoing similar views, Vaiday Vasant Patil, Executive Editor, Journal of Ayurveda and Holistic Medicine said the number of inpatient and outpatient increased drastically since last 5 years as per the AYUSH Ministry data. "Hence, the Government cannot ignore the Ayush," said Patil.
While the AB-PMJAY is silent on covering the Ayush, various health insurance companies have already started offering AYUSH benefit to their policyholders. In fact, two years ago, the Government too had issued guidelines and benchmark rates for insurance coverage of such alternative traditional medicines.
The insurance cover includes treatment undertaken at Government hospitals, Ayurveda college hospitals, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) accredited hospitals and registered private clinics with 15 beds and minimum of five qualified and registered Ayurveda doctors. As per the guidelines, 20 categories of diseases that can be treated through AYUSH are covered under insurance ambit.