Govt considering recommendation to set up regulatory mechanism on acupuncture

New Delhi: The government is actively considering recommendations of an apex committee on acupuncture for establishing a regulatory mechanism, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said on Tuesday. A comprehensive consultation in this regard involving multiple departments, including the Ministry of AYUSH, has been completed, the minister said in response to a question.

Based on the recommendations of the Standing Committee of Experts, acupuncture was qualified as a mode of therapy, he said.

An Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) constituted by the Department of Health Research had recommended in 2018 that acupuncture can be accepted as an independent system of healthcare for the indications for which there is evidence and expertise exists for teaching, training and certification.

After consideration of the IDC report, an apex committee on acupuncture (ACA) was constituted for promotion and regulation of acupuncture as a system of healthcare and therapy, Nadda elaborated.

The recommendations and guidelines of ACA include proposed course curricula for certificate, degree and diploma courses in acupuncture proposed template for rules and regulations for regulating the system, and suggestions for reimbursement for acupuncture treatment.

The committee has further recommended that in order to implement the guidelines, the government may take appropriate decision about establishing an appropriate regulatory mechanism so as to ensure a conducive environment and system for promotion and regulation of practice of acupuncture as a system of healthcare and therapy in the country, Nadda stated.

"The recommendations of apex committee on acupuncture for establishing an appropriate regulatory mechanism are under active consideration of the government," he said.