BENGALURU: Citizens in Karnataka availing of treatment under Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy) has seen a 35 per cent rise since 2021, with over 52 lakh people consulting Ayush doctors in 2022-23.
J Manjunath, commissioner of the Ayush department, said, “People are building more trust in Ayush medicine. Especially during the Covid pandemic, people who sought alternative medicines like ayurveda and naturopathy saw good results, which made them lean towards this holistic medicinal approach over allopathy.”
Data from the department showed that 33.61 lakh people availed of Ayush treatment in 2021-22, in comparison to 52 lakh-plus citizens in 2022-23, a 35 per cent rise. Dr Manjunath said all district and taluk-level hospitals, public and community health centres have Ayush doctors in the same facility, giving the patient a choice between allopathy and Ayush. In Karnataka, 576 Ayush doctors are housed in 559 healthcare facilities, along with 726 dispensaries and seven medical colleges.
Quackery cases of unqualified homoeopathic doctors prescribing medicines to patients, have also come down over the years, with increased vigilance by the state, said Dr Rajesh Shetty, working president, Karnataka Homoeopathic Medical Association (KHMA).
Increased awareness about Ayush medicines over the years, and investment in medical infrastructure for Ayush has encouraged more people to avail of the services and benefit from it. Of late, most of the doctors are flooded with patients who are willing to switch to alternative medicines, to avoid any possible side-effects caused by allopathic treatment, Shetty added.
Explaining about Ayush medicine, Dr Shetty said though treatment has a longer course, unlike allopathy, there are no side-effects and all kinds of diseases can be treated, including chronic ailments.
Addressing the debate on pay disparity between allopathic and Ayush doctors, he explained that now, permanent Ayush doctors are paid on par with allopathic doctors, especially in a government set-up.