The scheme falls under the Centre’s overall strategy to give a boost to the alternative medicine system along with the popular allopathic treatment.

Senior UT officials said that initially as many as 10 dispensaries and health centres would be selected in the city where all the three systems of medicine would co-exist.

“We have decided to make provisions for the co-existence of allopathy with the alternate systems of medicines for an intergrated approach in the health centres. Moreover, the move is in sync with the Centre’s policy, which focuses on popularising the alternate systems of medicine,” said a senior official of the administration while speaking to Newsline.

The shortlisted dispensaries would be given an additional grant of Rs 10 lakh each to make provisions for medicines and basic infrastructure while doctors and paramedical staff would be hired on contractual basis.

Going by the statistics, the number of allopathic institutions in the city clearly outnumbers both homoeopathic and the ayurvedic institutions.

According to the latest data of the administration, against 49 medical institutions in the city providing allopathic treatment, only 6 health centres are dedicated to ayurveda (including a hospital), while only 4 provide homoeopathy treatment.