THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Seven Ayush dispensaries in the capital district have been raised to the status of Ayush Health and Wellness Centres. These centres will take up preventive and promotive measures to ensure self-care through healthy lifestyle, food, yoga and medicinal plants. The health and wellness centre (HWC), a project devised under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, is implemented by the state Ayush department.
The HWCs in the district are the government siddha dispensary at Avanavanchery in Attingal, government ayurveda dispensaries at Aruvippuram, Cheramanthuruth and Kattakada, and the government homoeo dispensaries at Kazhakootam, Valiyavila and Vilavoorkal.
The HWCs will launch different facilities for the public in phases. As a first step, all centres have set up a medicinal plant garden on their premises.“The garden aims to create awareness on indigenous plants and their health benefits. The local name, scientific name and the medicinal properties of the plants are displayed in the garden. At present, each garden has 15 plants, which will be increased in the future,” said Dr Shaiju K S, the district program manager of the National Ayush Mission in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts.
The centres will soon launch yoga training. There will be online and offline classes, which will be free of cost. “Instructors are being recruited and the formal launch can be expected shortly,” Shaiju said.
The third component is community intervention with the help of ASHA workers. The centres will prepare a healthcare database on people living under its limits. Special focus will be given to disease prevention through awareness programmes on healthy lifestyle. The information will help the wellness centre prevent the spread of diseases, especially contagious one, in association with primary health centres.
“The data will help us suggest preventive measures or medicines against lifestyle diseases. For instance, we can warn against lifestyle diseases to a person leading a sedentary lifestyle. Or we can advise a wayside tea shop owner who stands all through his work to take precautions against varicose vein,” said Dr V B Vijayakumar, senior siddha officer of HWC, Avanavanchery.