Mizoram awaits central govt’s response on exemption from renaming health centres as ‘mandirs’

AIZAWL: The Mizoram government is awaiting a reply from the central government regarding their request for exemption from rebranding Ayushman Bharat health and wellness centres as Ayushman Arogya Mandir, citing societal and church sentiments.

Mizoram’s health principal secretary expressed concerns that the rebranding might foster adverse sentiments in the predominantly Christian state.

Last year, the Centre had decided to rename its flagship Ayushman Bharat health and wellness centres — the network of 1.6 lakh primary health centres across the country- as Ayushman Arogya Mandir.

After the mission director of the National Health Mission, LS Changsan had first communicated about the change to the states in November last year through a letter, the Mizoram government sought exemption from rebranding the health and wellness centres citing societal and church sentiments.

In a letter addressed to the Union Health Secretary in January this year, then Mizoram’s health principal secretary Esther Lal Ruatkimi expressed concern regarding instruction for renaming the existing health and wellness centres as Ayushman Arogya Mandir.

“As you are aware, Mizoram is a Christian state with more than 90% of the population identifying as Christian. It is felt that in order to continue to garner public support for public health activities for health promotion, this rebranding may foster adverse sentiments among the populace towards the government. I, therefore, request you to kindly exempt Mizoram from this activity,” Esther said in her letter.

The state government feared that people of Mizoram, which is pre-dominantly inhabited by the Christians, may be reluctant to come to health and wellness centres if they are renamed as “Mandir,” which signifies a Hindu place of worship or faith, officials said.

It feared that the change may have adverse effects on the sentiments of the people towards the government, they said.

They said that the Centre is yet to respond to the letter seeking exemption from rebranding of health and wellness centres.

They said that the state government is in favour of sticking to the existing nomenclature of Ayushman Bharat health and wellness centres.

Reports said that Nagaland too raised similar concerns in March and expressed observations over the name change.

It said that the move could offend the religious sentiments of the people of the state and is likely to attract strong objections from the church civil societies.