One hospital bed per 5000 population is essential: AYUSH Ministry Guidelines

New Delhi: Considering the requirement of quality in-patient care, Ayush hospitals should be spread across the country following the bed per population norm, according to a set of new guidelines issued by the Ayush Ministry. 

According to the norm, one hospital bed per 5,000 population is "essential" while 1 bed per 2,000 population is "desirable".

There are 3,844 Ayush hospitals in various categories across the country run by central and state governments. These hospitals together have a bed strength of 60,943.

The "essential" number of beds in Ayush hospitals may be provided through the public health system such as medical colleges, district hospitals, 10-bedded, 30-bedded, 50 or more bedded Ayush hospitals, the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) for Ayush healthcare facilities stated.

To achieve the "desirable" number of beds, the contribution of the private sector may also be considered while continuing to strengthen and increase bed provision at public health facilities, the guidelines said.

The Ayush hospitals, in adherence to IPHS standards, are expected to provide a comprehensive range of essential services that align with the principles of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, SowaRigpa and Homoeopathy, the document said.

This includes but is not limited to promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative services catering to a wide spectrum of health conditions.

These facilities are encouraged to integrate traditional and complementary medicine practices with the contemporary healthcare system, fostering a harmonious blend that caters to the diverse healthcare needs of the population, the document said.

The guidelines also stressed ensuring a continuum of care, establishment of assured referral systems along with facility readiness to manage referred cases.

All Ayush healthcare facilities should be strategically situated to ensure convenient access for the rural and urban communities they serve, it stated, adding that adequate space and infrastructure should be allocated to cater to the evolving healthcare needs.

All Ayush hospitals should be resilient to climatic and environmental changes and able to handle sudden healthcare needs during disasters and emergencies, epidemics and pandemics.

The IPHS guidelines for Ayush hospitals has emphasised strategic planning for service delivery as a priority, before investing in other components such as infrastructure, human resources, drugs, diagnostics, equipment, and others.

To achieve this, the set of guidelines has categorised healthcare services as either 'essential' or 'desirable' and correspondingly classified human resources in a similar fashion.

According to the guidelines, states and Union territories should conduct Ayush-specific training needs assessment to identify the training requirements of the Ayush healthcare workforce.

Apart from this, identify the need for integrating Ayush and modern medicine training for Ayush healthcare professionals, if required, the document said, adding that a robust grievance redressal mechanism should be established in all such hospitals.

Every state and Union Territory should have an occupational safety and health policy for Ayush hospitals, outlining the framework for ensuring the safety, health and well-being of employees, patients, and visitors.

The document stated that quality plays an important role and it should ideally be maintained in such a manner that the outcome meets the prescribed standards, even without any supervision.

Any proposed system must incorporate best practices from contemporary systems like the National Quality Assurance System.

National Accreditation Board for Hospital and Healthcare Providers standards for various Ayush systems will be referred and consulted to customise them for meeting the needs of Ayush Centers, the document said.

Original News Source: https://www.ptinews.com/story/national/ayush-hospitals-be-spread-across-country-following-bed-per-population-norm-ministry-guidelines/1334948