SRINAGAR: All 523 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (Ayush) approved for Jammu and Kashmir are functional, with more than 1.03 crore beneficiaries reported to have availed services at these centres between 2021 and 2025, the Union Ministry of Ayush informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.
In a written reply to an unstarred question, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav said 12,500 existing Ayush dispensaries and sub-health centres across the country had been upgraded under the Centrally Sponsored National Ayush Mission (NAM) for operationalisation as Ayush Health and Wellness Centres, now renamed Ayushman Arogya Mandir (Ayush).
According to the ministry’s data, Jammu and Kashmir accounts for 523 of the 12,500 approved centres, and all 523 are currently functional. Ladakh, meanwhile, has no approved or functional AAM (Ayush) under the scheme.
The data showed that beneficiaries in Jammu and Kashmir availed 1,03,38,837 services through the centres during 2021-2025. The annual figures were zero in 2021, followed by 26,85,966 in 2022, 30,18,269 in 2023, 24,12,595 in 2024 and 22,22,007 in 2025.
The ministry said the number of beneficiaries visiting AAM (Ayush) facilities had increased after the upgradation of Ayush dispensaries and sub-health centres, as the centres provide services beyond outpatient departments, including Prakriti Parikshan, yoga-related activities at facility and community levels, and awareness about the use of common medicinal plants.
It said implementation of the National Ayush Mission rests with the respective State and UT governments, while the Centre supports infrastructure development and manpower in accordance with NAM guidelines to improve accessibility and ensure the smooth functioning of Ayush services.
The government also said the implementation of AAM (Ayush) centres is reviewed through third-party assessments by NITI Aayog and NABH, besides visits by Central teams to different States and UTs to assess implementation and services.
On delays in sanctioned projects, the ministry said projects including integrated Ayush hospitals and Ayush education institutions had been approved under NAM. However, administrative bottlenecks were to be addressed by the respective State and UT governments. It added that subsequent instalments of grants could be delayed when States failed to fulfil conditions prescribed under guidelines issued by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.
Across India, Rajasthan had the highest number of functional AAM (Ayush) centres at 2,019, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 1,034, Madhya Pradesh with 800, Jharkhand with 745, Himachal Pradesh with 740 and Kerala with 700. All 12,500 approved centres were reported as functional.
