1. Rationale:
Ayurveda is a national method of therapy/treatment in Nepal. Like the Heritage of Himalayas and water resources, the original practices, manuscripts, records of Ayurvedic treatment and medicinal use of abundant herbs has taken an important role in Nepal With a view to effectively towards Ayurvedic treatment, this Ayurveda Health Policy has been made.

2. Objective:
For the accomplishment of the objectives identified by the National Health Policy, 2048 (1992), the speciality of Ayurvedic treatment which has been preserving health and curing diseases from ancient times is timely. Its principal objectives is to improve health condition of mass people and make them self-reliant on health service by officially and utmostly utilizing local medicinal herbs and medical entities which are easily available and can be used.

3. Form of Ayurvedic Treatment Service.
The form of science of Ayurvedic treatment is based on ‘Doshadushya’ principle, special treatment technique and the utilization of the available local herbs, minerals and Jantab entities. Ayurvedic treatment will be developed as a special treatment method in the country in a phase-wise manner.

3.1 The present organization of the Department of Ayurveda will be reformed as required and various sections will be operated and consolidated. Coordinative procedures will be followed with other departments and units under the Ministry of Health. The Department will co-ordinate the activities of governmental and non-governmental, national and international organizations relating to Ayurvedic treatment service, educational research and formation of medicines. Units will be established under the Department also to develop and expand the service of natural therapy, homoeopathy as well as other alternative systems of therapy.

3.2 The Ayurvedic Hospital Naradevi, existing in central level, will be upgraded to 100 beds at present, and operated as a hospital providing specific Ayurvedic service by establishing different departments of Ayurveda. This hospital will be operated under a development board.

3.3 In harmony with the policy to grant autonomy to and professionalize the existing Singhadurbar Vaidhyakhana, which has been approved by His Mejesty’s Government in principle, the preparation/formation and supply of Ayurvedic medicines will be well-managed and made effective, and there shall also be helped strength national economy by producing qualitative medicines of international standards, and promoting exports.

3.4 The existing Ayurvedic Hospital Dang, with 15 beds, will be converted into a Mid-western Regional Ayurvedic Hospital, operated as an hospital providing special service, with necessary manpower and equipment and a medicine formation section and construction of necessary building under construction will be completed.

3.5 In the rest four development regions, regional hospitals with 15 beds and medicine production branch in each hospital will be established and operated.

3.6 The system of Supervision, monitor, evacuation and referring process of the technical and administrative functions of the Ayurvedic hospital will be made effective, for the promotion of production, collection and promotion of the herbs locally available and for utmost utilization thereof in Ayurvedic treatment, presently existing District Ayurvedic Health Centers will be consolidated and even in the rest districts, a District Ayurvedic Health Center, with required manpower and equipment, will be established in headquarters of each district.

3.7 The Ayurvedic Dispensaries being currently operated will be equipped and made capable of producing, protecting, promoting of the herbs available in local level, in addition to the medicines to be sent by His Majesty’s Government, and utmostly using them in technology and treatment; arrangements will be made to keep on establishing Ayurvedic Dispensaries in the centre of at least five village development committees, on the basis of density of population, local demand and people’s participation.

3.8 Building of Ayurvedic Health centers and dispensaries will be built, and development of model herbs farm will be developed in the premises thereof.

4. Inter institutional and People’s participation:
4.1 Health workers, wizards, women volunteers, birth attendants, workers of social organization, who are providing medical service by way of herbs in a traditional manner in rural areas will be provided with trainings of growth, promotion, collection, protection and use of herbs, and people’s participation will be mobilized in the Ayurvedic treatment service.
4.2 For co-ordination with Ayurvedic Sector, inter-institutional co-ordination committees will be set up and maintained on governmental as well as nongovernmental level, from national to rural level in the field of herbs, forest, conservation areas, environment, remote area development committee, agriculture, education sector etc.

5. Herbs farming, production and enterprise of medicines:
5.1 Qualitative business of herbs will be encouraged by developing model herbs farms in Himalaya, Mountainous and Terai regions and providing the people with knowledge on the use of the herbs in domestic treatment and their preparation, protection and promotion.

5.2 Co-ordination will be made with governmental and non-governmental associations related with the herbals, so as to maintain standard in domestic trade and export to foreign countries by identifying genuine herbals.

5.3 Governmental and non-governmental Ayurvedic medicine manufacturing companies established or to be established in the country will be encouraged to manufacture qualitative medicines on the basis of ‘Good Manufacturing Practice’ and imports will be reduced and export promoted. For this purpose, co-ordination will be made with the Department of Drug Administration as well as with related governmental bodies.

5.4 One Ayurvedic Medicine Examination Committee and Laboratory will be developed for maintaining the quality of Ayurvedic Medicines to be imported from abroad or prepared in the country as well as for other technical works.

5.5 Nepal Ayurveda Pharmacopoeia will be collected and published in a timely manner.

6. Ayurvedic education and manpower development.
6.1 Taking into consideration of paramount role of qualified, efficient and duty-bond manpower in the technical field like treatment, a National Ayurvedic Institute, equipped with necessary equipments as well as a research centre, will be established under Tribhuvan University, for enhancing and carrying on further development in effective production of Ayurvedic manpower carrying out functions being dedicated to the field of Ayurveda and in standard of quality of its various dimensions (education, health, and preparation of medicines).

6.2 Programme of producing bachelor-level manpower in Ayurveda will be conducted so that physical infrastructure will be developed in harmony with the objective to provide master level and P.H.D. level Ayurvedic education in the future.

6.3 As high level manpower is required for the protection and overall development of Ayurveda in the context of providing the people with cheap, easily accessible and relatively without side-effect treatment service by having utmost mobilization of the natural resources of the country, the process of production of such high level manpower will be continuously operated without confining such manpower to the number required for His Majesty’s Government.

6.4 Middle level and basic level Ayurvedic manpower will be produced, and educational programmes will be launched for that purpose.

6.5 Native and foreign citizens who are desirous of pursuing introductory knowledge of Ayurvedic medicines will be provided with an opportunity to study.

6.6 Arrangements will be made for study and training to the manpower that can not be produced within the country in foreign countries as per necessity.

6.7 Arrangements will be made for in service refresher training and study tours.

7. Management of Ayurvedic Manpower
7.1 Various organizational structures under the Ayurveda Group will be made responsive and service-oriented for consolidation of management aspect of Ayurvedic manpower.

7.2 Ayurvedic doctors and Ayurvedic health workers will be provided with the same allowances and special facilities as doctors or health workers of other systems are receiving or will receive.

8. Ayurvedic Research
8.1 there will be established an Ayurvedic Research Institute furnished with the required equipment, for research of international standard in matters related with the use of Ayurvedic medicines and entities and the Ayurvedic treatment.

8.2 The Ayurvedic manuscripts available in the country will be preserved, data bank, reference library will be established, and timeliness reference materials will be published.

8.3 Magazines pertaining to the protection, farming, promotion, utility method, environmental education, of the herbs available in the country will be published, and national records thereof, prepared.

8.4 There will be launched a campaign of keeping protection and relevancy of the knowledge of traditional health workers perpetual.

8.5 For the above works, co-ordination will be maintained with Ayurveda Research Institute, National Ayurvedic Institute, Ayurvedaic Hospitals, governmental and non-governmental Ayurvedic Medicine Companies and other related research institutes.

9. Provision of Resource Mobilization:
Assistance of native and foreign donor agencies will be made available so as to provide financial support to various programmes of Ayurveda, to mobilize the acquired financial source by promoting export of herbs and prepared medicines and to assist in the implementation of the said programme.

10. Nepal Ayurvedic Medicine Council:
There will be established a Nepal Ayurveda Medical Council in national level for fixing necessary standards of Ayurvedic education and service, registration of doctors, well arrangement of fixation, monitoring and evaluation of their jurisdiction.