THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: More than half of Kerala’s population avails treatment under the Ayush systems of medicine in a year, with women outnumbering men, the first-ever “Survey on Ayush 2022-23” by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) has revealed.
The NSSO, under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, also said Ayush had slightly higher number of takers in urban Kerala than rural areas. In rural Kerala, 567 per 1,000 people used Ayush in one year, while in urban areas, the number was 587 per 1,000 people. This was higher than the national average of 463 (rural) and 529 (urban). The survey covered the year between July 2022 and June 2023.
Also, Ayush had more female takers than males in rural and urban areas – 615 females and 514 males (rural) and 648 females and 520 males (urban) per 1,000 people each, according to the survey.
Awareness about Ayush was also high in Kerala, with 982 per 1,000 people in rural areas, and 993 per 1,000 people in urban areas familiar with it. The national average was 948 and 960, respectively. However, fewer Keralites — 181 (rural) and 279 (urban) per 1,000 people — made use of any Ayush system solely for rejuvenation. The national average was 445 and 476, respectively. As a result, out of 36 states and UTs, rural Kerala ranked 35th in the category, while urban Kerala ranked 31st.
Wellness and rejuvenation programmes have higher takers among upper middle-class section of the state, opined Dr Saji P R, state programme manager (ISM) in National Ayush Mission Kerala.
Ayush spending 2nd highest in rural Kerala
“Commoners use Ayush for treating illnesses rather than rejuvenation therapies. Even 'Karkidaka Chikitsa' is mostly availed by people suffering from some kind of ailment. In fact, Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani have excellent rejuvenation programs,” Saji said.
When it came to using Ayush solely for therapeutic purposes, rural Kerala topped the country with 592 per 1,000 people, more than double the national average of 282. Urban Kerala had 525 takers in the category, against a national average of 258.
The survey also showed Ayush treatment was more expensive in Kerala than other places. The yearly average expenditure per person in rural Kerala was Rs 1,090 against the national average of Rs 472, making it second after Goa, which spent Rs 1,342. The per-person average expenditure in urban Kerala was Rs 1,203 per year against the national average of Rs 574, making it fifth in the country. Lakshadweep topped the list at Rs 2,130.
“Higher infrastructure, labour and material costs are reasons behind the higher treatment costs in the private sector. A sizeable population depends on the private sector,” Saji said.
Survey terminology
The NSSO survey covered the healthcare systems: Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy, collectively termed Ayush. It defined 'rejuvenation' as wellness measures aimed at health promotion and specific disease prevention, which includes advocacy of healthy lifestyle. 'Therapeutic' was defined as curative measures administered by Ayush physicians with an intention to cure a disease.