National Ayush Mission (NAM)

Introduction

Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National AYUSH Mission (NAM) is a flagship scheme of Ministry of AYUSH approved and notified on 29.09.2014.  The basic objective of NAM is to promote AYUSH medical systems through cost effective AYUSH services, strengthening of educational systems, facilitate the enforcement of quality control of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani & Homoeopathy (ASU &H) drugs and sustainable availability of ASU & H raw-materials. It envisages flexibility of implementation of the programmes which will lead to substantial participation of the State Governments/UT. The NAM contemplates establishment of a National Mission as well as corresponding Missions in the State level. NAM is likely to improve significantly the Department’s outreach in terms of planning, supervision and monitoring of the schemes.

Union Cabinet has approved continuation of Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National AYUSH Mission (NAM) on 15.12.2017 from 01.04.2017 to 31.03.2020. Union Cabinet on 14.07.2021 approved the continuation of National AYUSH Mission (NAM) with financial implication of Rs. 4607.30 crores (Rs. 3000.00 Crore as Central Share and Rs. 1607.30 crores as State Share) with effect from 01.04.2021 to 31.03.2026, excluding AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres (AHWCs) component. Union Cabinet also approved operationalization of 12,500 AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres (AHWCs) component under AYUSHMAN BHARAT for implementation through National AYUSH Mission with a financial outlay of Rs. 3399.35 Crores for a period of 5 years upto 2023-24.

Vision

1. To provide cost effective and equitable AYUSH health care throughout the country by improving access to the services.
2. To strengthen preventive and promotive aspects in primary health care.
3. To establish a holistic wellness model based on AYUSH principles and practices
4. To improve educational institutions capable of imparting quality AYUSH education

Objectives

1. To provide AYUSH health care services throughout the country by strengthening and improving AYUSH health care services.
2. To establish a holistic wellness model through AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres focusing on preventive and promotive health care based on AYUSH principles and practices, to reduce the disease burden and out of pocket expenditure.
3. To provide informed choice to the needy public through co-location of AYUSH facilities at PHCs, CHCs and DHs resulting in medical pluralism
4. To emphasize the role of AYUSH in Public Health as per NHP 2017.
5. To enhance and strengthen the infrastructure of AYUSH educational institutions.

Components of the Mission

Mandatory Components

• AYUSH Services
• Educational Institutions

Flexible Pool 

1. Yoga Wellness Centres
2. Tele-medicine
3. Sports Medicine through AYUSH
4. Reimbursement of Testing charges
5. IEC activities
6. Training and capacity building for teaching staffs, Medical Officers and other paramedical staffs working in the educational institution and AYUSH Hospitals/ Dispensaries.
7. To meet the mitigation and restorative activities of natural calamities including outbreak of epidemics/pandemics. 
8. Incentive to frontline workers of AYUSH:- Multiple AYUSH activities are being added and various AYUSH public health programs can be implemented only by effective community outreach by frontline health workers. Therefore, provision for need-based engagement of frontline workers of AYUSH may be provided in public health programs. State may provide the incentive as per local criteria. 
9. In AYUSH Dispensaries, wherever posts have been created but lying vacant due to administrative reasons, the States/UTs may propose 01 AYUSH Medical Officer & 01 Pharmacist for maximum limit upto 2025-26 or till the posts are filled up whichever is earlier on a need basis.
10. Support for HMIS and DBT tracking system- As per the direction of Direct Benefit Transfer Mission, it is required to monitor the benefits being provided to beneficiaries in the States/UTs. 
11. Accreditation of AYUSH Healthcare facilities by accreditation agencies like National Accreditation Board Hospitals and Healthcare providers (NABH) or similar accreditation standards.

Supporting Facilities under Mission

1. In order to strengthen the AYUSH infrastructure both attached Central and State levels, financial assistance for setting up of the Programme Management Units (PMU’s) will be provided. The PMU will consist of management and technical professionals both at Central and State level and will be essentially on contract or through service provider.
2. The PMU staff will be engaged from the open market on contractual basis or outsourcing and the expenditure on their salary will be met out of admissible administrative and managerial cost for the mission period. This PMU will provide the technical support to the implementation of National AYUSH Mission in the State through its pool of skilled professionals like MBA, CA, Accounts and technical Specialist etc. All appointments would be contractual and Central Government’s liability will be limited only to the extent of Central share admissible for administrative and management costs on salary head for the mission period.
3. In addition to the Manpower cost for PMU, the States/UTs can avail the financial assistance for such administrative costs like office expenditure, travelling expenditure, contingency, Annual Maintenance Cost (AMC) of infrastructure including equipment’s, computer, software for HMIS, Training and Capacity Building for concerned personnel under each component, audit, monitoring & evaluation, project preparation consultancy and additional manpower for AYUSH Hospitals and Dispensaries. A total 4% of the net funds available for the State is earmarked for State/UTs administrative costs under the Mission.

Resource Allocation Framework

1. FundingPattern: The funding pattern shall be Centre: 90% and State: 10% for North Eastern States and Himalayan States of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir whereas for the rest of the States and UTs with legislature except Jammu & Kashmir this ratio shall be Centre: 60% and State: 40%. UT without legislature 100% funds shall be borne by the Centre.
2. The Resource Pool to the States from the Government of India under the Mission shall be determined on the basis of following:
• Population with 70% weightage and 2 as multiplying factor for EAG States, Island UTs and Hilly States.
• Backwardness determined on the basis of proxy indicator of per capita income will have 15% weightage and
• Performance to be determined on inverse proportion of percentage of UCs due and pending as on 31st March of previous financial year will have 15% weightage.
3. Performance-basedbudgeting- In order to incentivize good performing States/UTs, performance-based budgeting has been made. For this purpose, 20% of total allocation of Flexipool budget may be earmarked and this fund will be allocated to good performing States/UTs in the same proportion in which main budget of NAM is allocated. 

Action Plan

Preparationof State Annual Action Plan (SAAP) bytheStates/UTs:

For preparation of State Annual Action Plan (SAAP) the following steps will be taken:

• Indication of tentative State/UT allocation by Ministry of Ayush, Government of India: 31st January.
• Budget Provision by the State Government along with matching State Share: 28th February.
• Preparation of State Annual Action Plan by Executive Committee of the State AYUSH Society: 28th February.
• The receipt of State Annual Action Plan in the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India: 15th March.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Ministry of Ayush has created a dedicated NAM web portal for submission of the State Annual Action Plans (SAAPs), Physical and financial progress reports of approved activities, submission of UCs etc. The States/UTs are required to ensure for implementing aforesaid activities through NAM portal. Dedicated MIS based monitoring and evaluation can be achieved through this web portal at Centre/ State level. States/UTs shall also carry out evaluation of National AYUSH Mission at regular interval.
• States/UTs are required to report the physical and financial progress on monthly, quarterly and yearly basis to the Ministry of Ayush indicating physical progress of the work, attendance of the patients/ beneficiaries in the AYUSH unit, receptivity & acceptability of the facilities of health care rendered from the unit for specific diseases as well as financial position of expenditure along with relevant documents.
• The concurrent evaluation of the AYUSH Mission shall be carried out to know the implementation progress and bottlenecks and scope for improvement. Third party evaluation will also be carried out by mid of Financial Year 2023-24. 

Expected Outcome

• Better access to AYUSH healthcare services through increased number of healthcare facilities offering AYUSH services and better availability of medicines and trained manpower.
• Improvement in AYUSH education through well-equipped enhanced number of AYUSH Educational institutions. 
• To support in reduction of communicable/non-communicable diseases through targeted public health programmes under AYUSH system of medicine.

For the complete guidelines, click here.

AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres

Source: Ministry of AYUSH