Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: High-level discussions were held on Wednesday regarding reforms, expansion of services and policy management in Ayurveda and alternative medicine.

The discussions focused on making Ayurveda services more effective, integrating them with the health system and developing Nepal as a destination for Ayurvedic tourism.

Minister for Health and Food Hygiene Nisha Mehta said that Ayurveda and alternative medicine were in the priority of the government.

“The government is committed to providing necessary policy and institutional support for the development of this sector,” she said.

The meeting also focused on developing Pokhara-based Gandaki Ayurveda Hospital, Kirtipur-based Ayurveda Research and Training Centre and National Ayurveda Panchakarma and Yoga Centre at Budhanilkantha as major centres of Ayurvedic health tourism.

According to the ministry, the ministry will work towards establishing Nepal as an attractive destination for Ayurvedic health tourism by enhancing their infrastructure, services, specialist manpower and capacity of international standard wellness service.

Similarly, the participants also suggested to include Ayurveda services in the health insurance program, conduct organization and management survey, strengthen institutional structure related to Ayurveda at the Ministry, develop value chain from herbal production to processing and medicine production and strengthen the production system as per the GMP standard of the World Health Organization.

The meeting was attended by high-ranking officials of the Ministry, the Department of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine, Singha Durbar Baidhyakhana, Naradevi Ayurved Hospital, Ayurveda Research and Training Centre, Nepal Ayurveda Doctors Association and National Ayurveda Panchakarma and Yoga Centre.

The Ministry has stated that the suggestions received from the discussion would be forwarded gradually through implementable plan and policy decisions.