Soon, state to get 8 more Ayush villages

Thiruvananthapuram: In addition to the existing eight Ayush villages, an equal number of new Ayush villages would also be set up in the state, health minister K K Shailaja said here on Saturday.
The new Ayush villages would would come up at Kuthuparamba (Kannur), Kunnummel (Kozhikode), Ottappalam (Palakkad), Nilambur (Malappuram), Mananthavady (Wayanad), Irinjalakuda (Thrissur), Mallappally (Pathanamthitta) and Ambalapuzha (Alappuzha). An amount of Rs 10 lakh each has been set aside for the Ayush villages.

There would be one specialist medical officer, one yoga trainer, one helper or multipurpose worker at each facility. Ayush villages are aimed at tackling lifestyle and communicable diseases.

At present, Ayush villages function in Uduma (Kasaragod), Mattannur (Kannur), Perunkadavila (Thiruvanantapuram), Ithikkara (Kollam), Pallom (Kottayam), Muvattupuzha (Ernakulam), Muttom (Idukki) and Chavakkad (Thrissur).

Ayush village project, conceived and supported by the Union ministry, proposes to help out people in rural areas to improve their life style to a healthy one and stop the possibility of the spreading of communicable diseases. Planting and rearing of medicinal plants and campaigns for prevention and treatment of malaria, TB and diphtheria are part of the project. The village would promote yoga practice and rearing of domestic cattle such as cow, buffalo and goat and promotion of organic vegetable cultivation are part of the scheme.

The project is being rolled out with the cooperation of medicinal plant board, horticultural mission. Cooperation and participation of local body representatives, MLAs and MPs would be ensured for the success of the scheme.