Team Herald
PANJIM: Union Minister of State for Ayush, Shripad Naik, on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for the All India Institute of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy at Dhargal, North Goa.
Naik said that the project will be a medical hub and attract tourists from across the world, adding that the institute will boost tourism in Goa by offering various short-term courses on yoga and naturopathy.
According to Naik the institute would significantly contribute to research by virtue of its proximity to the biodiverse Western Ghats and the sea.
Naik said that locals would be given priority in providing employment opportunities at the facility and that 80 per cent of the jobs in the institute will be reserved for residents of Pernem taluka and Goans.
The institute will house a 100-bed hospital, outpatient department and a research centre, and offer postgraduate and PhD courses. Some 50-bed AYUSH hospitals will be also set up in Margao and Sankhalim soon, the Union Minister said.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, Tourism Minister Manohar Azgaonkar, Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar were present on the occasion.
