Ayurveda, alternative medicine to get an accreditation nudge

livemint.com:

Ayurvedic wellness centres, homeopathy clinics and Unani hospitals across the country may soon have integrated accreditation standards, as the government pushes to widen the reach and popularity of alternative medicine. The National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare (NABH) has requested stakeholders’ views on common accreditation standards it plans to issue by June, chief executive Atul Mohan Kochhar said. The decision was taken to ensure ease of business for the wellness centres, he added.

“This is for the first time that a common set of guidelines will be introduced for the Ayurveda-associated hospitals, clinics and wellness centres," Kochhar said in an interview. “AYUSH has got seven disciplines—Ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and homeopathy. We already had different set of accreditation guidelines for these disciplines but now, there is going to be only one," he said.

The proposal comes in the wake of the insurance regulator recently bringing AYUSH treatments under health insurance coverage. Starting 1 April, insurers must have board-approved policies outlining their approach towards placing AYUSH treatments at par with other treatments. Currently, there are separate standards for AYUSH disciplines to secure NABH accreditation.

NABH has already framed a draft of the new standards with support from the Ayush ministry and the All India Institute of Ayurveda, and has asked stakeholders to submit their feedback by 15 April. Mint has seen a copy of the NABH notice. Reji Raj, general manager and senior physician at Amal Tamara Ayurvedic Centre in Kerala, said accreditation will provide guests with an additional layer of assurance, ensuring they receive care that aligns with the