Delhi High Court seeks response from government on plea to include Ayurveda, Yoga in Ayushman Bharat PMJAY

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Central and Delhi governments on a plea by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashwini Upadhyay to include Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy treatments in the Ayushman Bharat scheme..A Division Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela asked the two governments to file their response to the plea in eight weeks. The matter will be heard next on January 29, 2024. .The Ayushman Bharat scheme was launched by the Central government in the year 2018 to provide health coverage for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. It has two main components - the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) and the Health and Wellness Centres. Under PMJAY, health coverage of ₹5 lakh per family per year is provided.Upadhyay argued that PMJAY covers only allopathic hospitals and dispensaries while “indigenous medical systems” like Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy are not covered.He said that the healthcare facilities provided under Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and PMJAY are incomplete and do not align with the fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution.“This plan predominantly covers and is limited to allopathic hospitals and dispensaries, while India boasts various indigenous medical systems, including Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Siddha, Unani, Homeopathy, which are rooted in India's rich traditions and are highly effective in addressing the healthcare needs of the present time,” the plea said.It claimed that in India, more than 90% of doctors trained in Indian medical practices run their private clinics and hospitals and the Ayushman scheme's exclusion of Ayurveda and other Indian medical practices infringes upon the fundamental rights of these doctors.He said that if Ayurveda is included in Ayushman Bharat scheme, it will allow a significant portion of the country's population to avail affordable healthcare benefits and wellness in various serious diseases without any harm and at low rates, and will also provide employment to thousands of people in the field of Ayurveda.