India’s first AYUSH University in Kurukshetra to boost research, innovation & healthcare
With the permanent campus of India's first AYUSH University set to come up in Kurukshetra, research and innovation in all AYUSH healthcare systems - ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homeopathy — are also expected to receive a major boost, alongside the strengthening of healthcare facilities.
In 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the establishment of India's first AYUSH University on nearly 100 acres of land at Fatehpur village in Kurukshetra. Subsequently, Shri Krishna Government Ayurvedic College was upgraded into Shri Krishna AYUSH University. Since then, the university has been functioning from the existing college campus. It will be the first university in the country exclusively dedicated to all the systems of AYUSH.
Vice-Chancellor of the university (Vaidya) Kartar Singh Dhiman said, “Universities are known for their research work, and we will also focus on carrying out quality research here. Ayurveda has immense possibilities in the fields of innovation and technology. The contract for the construction work for the first phase has already been awarded, and the company has visited the site. It has started the process of soil testing, surveys, obtaining environmental clearance, and completing other formalities. As the first phase of the project is expected to begin soon, setting up the research and innovation block with all the required infrastructure is among our top priorities. MoUs are being signed with other institutes for research and learning.”
“All the systems under AYUSH are equally important. However, since we already have an established setup for ayurveda and the university is also running PG classes, our priority is to get all the infrastructure ready for Ayurveda in the first phase. Homeopathy is also getting a good response, and we will try to start its classes and research work in the second phase. The entire project will be completed in three phases,” he added.
The VC informed that while all systems will have their own hospitals for specialised treatment and institutions, the Research and Innovation Centre will be common. While the ayurveda hospital will be a 250-bedded hospital, the remaining hospitals will have 50 beds each.
The first phase will also have the administrative block, examination branch, central library, Ayurvedic Postgraduate College, university market, power house, hostels for PG and PhD scholars, dining hall, residences, staff quarters, solid waste management system and other essential infrastructure. The Haryana Government has awarded the Rs 465 crore first-phase construction contract to a firm. It will be a green campus in compliance with all environmental norms. It will have a solar power and water-harvesting system as well. The first phase is to be completed in 30 months.
In the next two phases, the university will get its yoga and naturopathy hospital and institute, homeopathy institute and hospital, the siddha and unani institutes and hospitals, pharmacy, residential facilities, sports complexes and a guest house.
The VC said that the project will play a vital role in strengthening AYUSH education, research and healthcare, making the university a leading institution in the country. Panchkarma and paediatric treatments are getting a good response. Dedicated OPDs for homeopathy, unani, siddha, and naturopathy are being run alongside ayurveda. People from other states are coming to the university for Panchkarma treatment.
“We have asked the departments to show results and to attract more people towards their systems of medicine. Different outdoor activities and preventive camps are being organised to make people aware of the benefits of ayurveda and other systems of AYUSH and motivate them to use natural resources for better healthcare,” the VC said.
University officials believe that the permanent campus will give a new identity to the university and accelerate its overall development. The hospitals, research laboratories, hostels and other facilities within a single campus will create a better learning environment for students.
About the faculty, the VC informed that, “The faculty for the Ayurveda and research department has been sanctioned, and as construction work progresses to the next phase, the process of sanctioning posts and faculty for the remaining branches will be carried out simultaneously. The appointment of qualified and experienced teachers and specialists will significantly strengthen Ayurveda education and research. The students will benefit from quality, research-oriented education, while patients at the hospitals will receive improved healthcare services.”
Meanwhile, Dr Raja Singla, Professor, Department of Panchakarma and Medical Superintendent of the Institute for Ayurveda Studies and Research (IAS&R) Hospital, AYUSH University, Kurukshetra, said that the hospital has developed a comprehensive approach towards the management of autoimmune, musculoskeletal and neuromuscular disorders. It has emerged as a prominent centre for ayurvedic treatment and research, attracting patients from across India.
Dr Singla said the Institute records over 450 OPD visits daily, reflecting the growing trust of patients from across the country. To further strengthen its diagnostic services, the latest X-ray and ultrasound machines are planned to be installed in the near future.
