Delhi HC asks Centre to treat plea as representation to include ayurveda, yoga in Ayushman Bharat

New Delhi, Apr 5 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Centre to treat as a representation the plea that sought inclusion of ayurveda, yoga, and naturopathy in Ayushman Bharat, the national public health insurance scheme.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora disposed of the public interest litigation (PIL) after asking the Union Ministry of Ayush to decide the representation expeditiously. The high court, which had earlier dismissed the petition for non-prosecution, allowed the petitioner’s application to restore the plea and asked the ministry to treat it as representation.

The court passed the order after perusing the affidavit filed by the Ayush Ministry which stated that it was coordinating with the Health Ministry to take steps to include Indian healthcare system under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

Last year, the high court had issued notice to the Union ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Ayush, Finance and Home Affairs and the Delhi government and asked them to file their counter affidavits in response to the PIL by petitioner advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. The petition sought inclusion of ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy in PM-JAY, also known as Ayushman Bharat, to secure the right to health of citizens.

Ayushman Bharat, which was launched in 2018, has two main components – PM-JAY and Health and Wellness Centres. PM-JAY provides for cashless health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per Below Poverty Line (BPL) family every year. The plea sought that the scheme be implemented in every state and Indian healthcare systems be covered under it.

Such inclusion, it said, would allow a significant portion of the country’s population to avail themselves of affordable healthcare benefits in case of several serious diseases, without any harm and at low rates, and provide employment to thousands of people in the field of ayurveda.

“PM-JAY, that is, Ayushman Bharat 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,” it said.

It said due to various policies created by foreign rulers and individuals with a colonial mindset, India’s cultural, intellectual knowledge and scientific heritage have been systematically eroded. “Along with this, these foreigners, motivated by a profit-oriented approach, have thoughtfully implemented many laws and schemes during the time of our country’s independence that have slowly undermined our rich heritage and history,” the plea said.