Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav on Friday, 22 May 2026 directed state health officials to accelerate the integration of AYUSH medicine into district hospitals, establish dedicated AYUSH wings with Panchakarma centres, and extend cashless AYUSH treatment to approximately 13 lakh ESI-registered worker families through coordination with the Labour Department.

Context

In a post on X, the Chief Minister outlined a multi-pronged directive covering institutional expansion, targeted outreach, and insurance coverage. He instructed officials to initiate an AYUSH University and also set up a Natural Medicine and Yoga College. He further directed that Ayurvedic medicines be distributed in tribal-majority districts and those affected by sickle cell anaemia — a condition disproportionately prevalent among tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh.

Calling for wider public awareness, the Chief Minister said information about AYUSH innovations, successful experiments, and wellness centres must reach 'jan-jan tak' [every citizen]. He also directed that separate AYUSH wings be established in district hospitals as an alternative treatment option within allopathic facilities.

Policy Backdrop

The directives are explicitly framed within National Health Policy 2017 and Vision 2047 — the long-term national development framework targeting comprehensive health infrastructure by India's centenary of independence. The National Health Policy 2017 had specifically called for mainstreaming AYUSH systems alongside allopathic care in public health delivery, and Madhya Pradesh is now moving to operationalise that mandate at the district level.

The Employee State Insurance (ESI) scheme, administered by the Union Labour Ministry, provides social security and medical benefits to formal-sector workers. Extending cashless AYUSH coverage to ESI beneficiaries would mark a significant expansion of the scheme's scope within the state, requiring active coordination between the state health and labour departments.

Stakeholders and Impact

The most immediate beneficiaries are tribal communities in high sickle cell burden districts, where access to allopathic care has historically been limited and Ayurvedic interventions are being positioned as a complementary pathway. The directive to distribute Ayurvedic medicines in these districts signals a targeted public health response to a chronic genetic disorder.

For the state's approximately 13 lakh ESI-registered worker families, cashless AYUSH access would remove out-of-pocket costs for traditional medicine consultations and treatments. AYUSH practitioners across Madhya Pradesh stand to see expanded institutional roles as dedicated wings — each equipped with a Panchakarma centre — are established in district hospitals.

What's Next

The key milestones to watch are the formal establishment of AYUSH wings in district hospitals, the rollout of the proposed AYUSH University and Yoga College, and the finalisation of cashless treatment tie-ups between the state health department and the Labour Department for ESI beneficiaries. Progress on Ayurvedic medicine distribution in sickle cell-affected tribal districts will also be a measure of implementation speed.

If the cashless ESI-AYUSH linkage is operationalised, Madhya Pradesh could serve as a template for other states seeking to embed traditional medicine into formal social security frameworks — advancing a model that aligns with the central government's broader AYUSH mainstreaming agenda ahead of 2047.