FILL THE SKILL DIVIDE.

"Equipped but educated graduates are essential to secure the nation's ayurvedic medical sector."

I sometimes wonder what would've transpired if acharya Charaka ran institutions like the Narayana hrudayalaya or projects like the NRHM, or what would've been his mantra in the periods of epidemic outbreaks.
health care practices are not new to India. If the basic principles of health care could create a well natured, physique mankind long back, those very principles can aid in the modern health care governance of large magnitudes and multi facets too.
In the last 10 years, there has been a phenomenal growth of the Indian system of health care management and its education in the nation. the number of applicants for the BAMS admission is a good indicator of the growth in ayurveda education in India. The sector attracts about 1000 candidates per year in the state of Kerala alone. But still there is a yawing gap between the population and the number of quality graduates.
The quality of graduates that the academies across the nation churn out is often a bone of contention. While some argue that the top running institution produce the cream of ISM practitioners, I strongly feel that the quality of a graduate should be attributed to calibre, evolution and effort put in by the individual and not just the image of the academy,
The other aspect of ayuveda medical education deals with its application. the reasons why many employers prefer experienced professionals rather than freshers is because, the degree aims to build on the foundations of work experience. The new skill and knowledge a student acquires during the programme enables him/her to make transitions to a higher level of responsibility of career.
With the graduates entering the health care sector, it is important to understand the demands and fill the gap. They should be able to multitask, yet provide support for a niche area based on the individual's area of expertise. Also, with many companies competing against in an international platform, there is a need for professionals who have considerate amount of drug manufacturing experience, sound scientific knowledge and knowledge of best international practices.
The BAMS is essentially a generalist qualification designed to give students a holistic view of how to provide health care.