The Ministry of Ayush recently conducted a review meeting and discussions regarding the development of the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) and National Health Intervention Codes (NHIC) for Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani (ASU) systems of medicine. This initiative stemmed from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Donor Agreement signed with the World Health Organization (WHO). The aim is to establish standardized coding vocabulary for ASU clinical interventions to facilitate data exchange, research, and interoperability in global healthcare systems.
Chaired by Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary of the Ministry of Ayush, the meeting emphasized the strategic importance of internationally aligned intervention classifications. The effort seeks to integrate traditional medicine systems into global healthcare frameworks, enhance documentation practices, and bolster interoperability in digital health ecosystems. Dr. N. Srikanth and Dr. Kavita Jain also stressed the significance of standardized intervention terminology for evidence-based traditional medicine systems.
During the meeting, representatives from the World Health Organization, including Dr. Pawan Godatwar and Dr. Geetha Krishnan, discussed the global relevance of standardized coding systems for traditional medicine. Technical presentations on hierarchical coding directories were provided by the research councils, with Prof. Vaidya Rabinarayan Acharya, Prof. Dr. N. J. Muthukumar, and Dr. N. Zaheer Ahmed presenting the Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani coding frameworks, respectively.
