Integrating Traditional Medicine into Armed Forces Health System

The Union government is seeking to enrich the medical care offered to Indian soldiers by incorporating AYUSH—India’s traditional system of medicine—into the defence health infrastructure. Union Minister of State Prataprav Jadhav wrote to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, urging the addition of AYUSH OPDs and therapy units in every military and field hospital.

According to the letter, the Armed Forces Medical Services already possess sophisticated hospitals and diagnostic capabilities. Introducing AYUSH modalities, supported by rigorous scientific research, would add a preventive dimension to care, covering areas such as lifestyle counselling, chronic disease management and comprehensive rehabilitation.

At present, AYUSH services are confined to a few select defence hospitals. Scaling up would give soldiers access to holistic treatments that complement allopathic care, thereby improving overall health outcomes and readiness.

The AYUSH Ministry has committed to dispatching technical teams, specialist doctors and necessary equipment. Moreover, both ministries are prepared to formalise their collaboration through a memorandum of understanding, ensuring seamless implementation.