Health Minister K. Muraleedharan has said the State government would ensure Ayurveda gets the same status and recognition as allopathy in the healthcare sector, and promised all necessary support for the traditional system to flourish without being sidelined.He was speaking after inaugurating the Vaidyaratnam Founder’s Day celebrations in Ollur recently, held to mark the 29th death anniversary of Padma awardee Ashtavaidyan E T Neelakandhan Mooss, credited with pioneering contributions to Ayurvedic treatment, medicine manufacturing and medical education.Mr. Muraleedharan pointed out that while the Centre’s AYUSH Ministry gives the traditional system institutional heft at the national level, Kerala has no equivalent set-up. The State is now mulling a dedicated AYUSH department, to be headed by an officer of Chief Secretary rank, to give Ayurveda the priority it deserves, he said. Other traditional systems such as Unani and naturopathy would also get a bigger push, he added.The Minister gave away the Vaidyaratnam ‘Atmamitra’ and ‘Vidvatta’ awards, instituted in memory of E. T. Narayanan Mooss.Presiding over the function, Vaidyaratnam Group chairman and managing director Ashtavaidyan E. T. Neelakandhan Mooss said Ayurveda’s global expansion needed greater focus and urged the State to make better use of Central AYUSH funds.Delivering the keynote address, former Minister and MLA, K. Rajan lauded the Vaidyaratnam Group’s role in taking Ayurveda’s legacy to the world stage, and gave away academic awards to top-scoring students.In his address, Achuthsankar S. Nair, vice-chairperson of the Kerala State Higher Education Council, said Ayurveda and allopathy were complementary rather than rival systems, and predicted that global healthcare would eventually move towards an integrated model combining both. Published - July 14, 2026 09:06 pm IST