Over 92.8 Lakh Beneficiaries Served by Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in Jammu Kashmir, Says Government

SRINAGAR: The Union Ministry of AYUSH has said that 523 Ayush Dispensaries in Jammu and Kashmir have been upgraded into Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM) under the National AYUSH Mission (NAM), serving over 92.86 lakh beneficiaries since their inception.

Responding to a starred question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH Prataprao Jadhav said that the figures were based on proposals received from the Union Territory government through its State Annual Action Plans. According to data reported by the JK administration, these upgraded facilities have delivered a range of preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative health services rooted in traditional systems of medicine.

The government informed the House that the impact of these centres had been evaluated through third-party reviews, NABH assessments and Central team visits. The reviews found that patient footfall had “subsequently increased” after the upgradation of dispensaries and sub-health centres into AAMs, owing to the addition of services such as Prakriti Parikshan, yoga-based activities at both facility and community levels, and public awareness campaigns on medicinal plants.

The visiting teams have recommended further strengthening of the programme by providing targeted training and capacity building for AAM staff, improving referral linkages with other public health facilities, and involving frontline health workers such as Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) more effectively. The Ministry said these steps would help enhance the outreach and efficiency of AYUSH-based healthcare in the Union Territory.