The Dubai Health Authority announced that effective in September, Ayurveda, Homeopathy and Acupuncture will now be accepted by the basic health insurance plan. In Dubai, Ayurveda is now as inexpensive as in India. According to the revised plan, basic health cover in Dubai will now include mental health and psychiatry, Ayurveda and homeopathy, which were so far not covered in the basic insurance coverage for low-income workers.

Dr V L Shyam, Medical Director at Dr Shyam’s Ayurveda Center in Dubai, said: “Ayurveda shouldn’t be a treatment option only for the elite or limited to the expensive scheme. The 5,000-yearold wisdom should reach humanity without geographical and economical limitations and this move promises that.”

He explained “It is not just the consumers who will benefit from the inclusion of alternative medicine in basic insurance plan. It is also an added advantage for the system of medicine and the healthcare delivery system in the UAE as it will offer a natural cost-effective approach that all can avail of irrespective of their salary bracket. Ayurveda clinics can now expect more outpatients and it will help the system to cater in the primary care level.”

Read more here: www.khaleejtimes.com/news/uae-health/dubai-mental-health-ayurveda-and-homeopathy-now-part-of-basic-insuranceplan-says-dha