All India Institute of Ayurveda signs MoU with Safdarjung Hospital to establish Integrative Medicine Unit

New Delhi, April 7

All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), the apex institute of Ayurveda in India under the Ministry of AYUSH, and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital (VMMC & SJ Hospital) have signed an MoU to develop a unique centre of excellence model Integrative Health Facility in the country for tertiary care. As per the agreement, both AIIA and VMMC & SJ Hospital will jointly work to treat patients using the best of both Ayurveda and Modern Medicine.

The MoU between AIIA and Safdarjung Hospital was signed on March 25 at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, by Dr. Tanuja Nesari and Dr. S.V. Arya. The event was graced by Dr. Sunil Kumar, DGHS, whose efforts have been instrumental in making this collaboration a reality.

The unit will be inaugurated by Minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal and State Minister of Ayush Munjapara Mahendrabhai in the presence of Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary Ayush, and Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary Health & Family Welfare.

The focus areas for collaboration include the rapeutic, holistic, preventive, and promotive medical services through Integrative medicine unit; lifestyle counselling, yoga, diet advice and stress management; IEC activities for creating awareness about Integrated medicine unit for the general public; activities to paramedical staff, nurses, UGs, PGs; and faculty and projects to be taken up to include other areas such as applied research as mutually agreed upon involving faculty, research scholars and students from different departments/ divisions of both the institutes.

On the occasion, Dr. (Prof.) Tanuja Nesari, Director, AIIA said: "We are proud and delighted by this milestone where we have an opportunity to collaborate with one of India's leading hospitals to deliver Ayurveda science in an integrated model with modern medicine. This comes at a time when on WORLD HEALTH DAY, the global focus is on OUR HEALTH, OUR PLANET. The Indian Heritage and use of natural treatment formulas combined with the modern medicine can become the future of patient care in India. This step is aligned with the government's mission of HEALTH FOR ALL. The facility will help strengthen the medical infrastructure and research, as well as increase affordability and accessibility of treatments. Within a short span of time, we will be able to establish the integrated facility in sync with the best medical practices from around the globe. This is also going to add enormous prospects for our future students aspiring to make their name in the field of medicine."

Under the agreement, the infrastructural space and other requisites to run the centre on a day-to-day basis will be provided by VMMC & SJ Hospital, whereas the technical support including manpower, technical infrastructure, and running of the centre will be managed by AIIA. The expert faculty and staff of both the signees will form a joint committee of Integrated medicine to run and establish the model centre. The faculty and students of AIIA and VMMC & SJ Hospital will have access to the facilities of both institutes, subject to their respective rules and regulations with prior permissions as granted by authorities.