The Keralam government has constituted a high-level task force to develop an evidence-based road map for a phased prevention and early detection framework, along with appropriate treatment and rehabilitation plan, and an action plan for healthy ageing, with the broader objective of establishing a “Kerala Holistic Model for Health, Wellness and Longevity”.
Jyothilal, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance); Ratan Kelkar, Secretary to the Chief Minister; Deepak Singhal, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary; Shiv Kumar Sarin, Director of Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi; Faizal E Kottikolon, chairman, KEF Holdings; C. Devidas Varier, managing director of AVP Coimbatore; Harsh Mahajan, chairman of Mahajan Imaging and Labs; Pratap Chauhan, chairman Jive Ayurva; Kancherioa Ravindranath, chairman, Global Hospital, Hyderabad; S.S. Lal, Director ReAct Asia Pacific; P.M. Varier, chief physician, Arya Vaidya Sala Kottakkal; M.V. Pillai, chairman International Cancer Care Network, USA, and Nisha Nigil, President-elect, Association of Kerala Medical Graduates in North America. The task force has been asked first to assess Keralam’s disease burden, ageing trends, healthcare service capacity and gaps in access, and identify priority populations, diseases and districts. A significant component of its mandate is to explore and identify evidence-based models for coordination among modern medicine, Ayurveda and other recognised systems of medicine. The order specifically calls for clearly defined scopes of practice, clinical governance, consent, contraindications, referral mechanisms and adverse-event reporting.
The 16-member task force includes K.R.
The task force will also examine the creation of a network of diagnostic, hospital, rehabilitation and wellness services, including criteria for pilot projects, accreditation, quality assurance and independent evaluation. Its mandate extends to workforce development in nursing, allied health, public health and relevant systems of medicine. It will also set uop research partnerships in health economics and financing. The Health and Family Welfare department will function as the nodal department, with support from AYUSH, Finance and other departments. Research, analytical, financial, technical and secretarial personnel will be deputed from the Health Department and its attached organisations.
The order also recommends facilitation and support of the proposed World Holistic Health Forum, “a global NGO”, after assessing its purpose, financial commitment and expected outcomes so that Kerala’s positioning as a “cradle and destination” for holistic health, wellness and longevity can be explored.
