India’s First Integrated Paediatric Neuro-Rehabilitation Centre ‘PRAYAS’ Inaugurated At AIIA In Goa

In a significant move aimed towards advancing integrative healthcare for children, the Ministry of Ayush has started PRAYAS, India’s first Integrated Neuro-Rehabilitation Centre for paediatric care at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Goa.

The newly launched centre is designed to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary rehabilitation services for children with neurological and developmental disorders. It aims to bring together Ayurveda, Yoga and modern medical interventions in a unified treatment model, offering a holistic, child-focused approach to neuro-rehabilitation.

Speaking at the inauguration, Union Minister of State for Ayush and Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, described PRAYAS as a “model of integrative care and hope,” noting that the centre is poised to enhance not only clinical outcomes but also the quality of life for young patients and their families.

“The establishment of PRAYAS underscores the Ministry’s commitment to promoting centres of excellence that blend traditional knowledge systems with contemporary science,” Jadhav said.

Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy, also attended the event and lauded the centre’s multidisciplinary framework. He expressed confidence that the initiative would bring “new hope to countless families navigating complex paediatric neurological conditions.”

Conceptualised as a dedicated facility for children, PRAYAS provides integrative rehabilitation for a range of conditions, including developmental delays, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders and other neuro-motor and cognitive impairments. Treatment at the centre will be delivered through coordinated interventions involving Ayurveda physicians, paediatricians, physiotherapists, occupational and speech therapists and yoga experts.

Prof. P. K. Prajapati, Director of AIIA, said the launch of PRAYAS marks a critical milestone in the development of evidence-based integrative healthcare for children. “The centre seeks to set new benchmarks in paediatric neuro care through a blend of traditional and modern approaches,” he said.

Echoing similar views, Prof. Sujata Kadam, Dean of AIIA Goa, highlighted the centre’s emphasis on personalised, child-centric care and its commitment to both clinical service and capacity building through research and training in integrative rehabilitation.

Talking to The Health Outlook about the concept of the centre, Rajesh Kotecha, Union Ayush Secretary, explained that the conceptual framework of PRAYAS is in alignment with the National Health Policy 2017, which advocates for the integration of AYUSH systems into mainstream healthcare. “The centre also supports the objectives of Ayushman Bharat, particularly in strengthening accessible, community-based rehabilitative care,” he added.

At the international level, PRAYAS reflects key recommendations of the WHO Rehabilitation 2030 agenda, the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy (2014–2023) and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), by focusing on functioning, participation and holistic quality of life, especially in children.

Kotecha further said that unlike standard neuro-rehabilitation centres, which often operate within biomedical silos, PRAYAS adopts a truly integrative model. The centre addresses not only physical impairments but also sensory integration, behavioural development, gut-brain health and family empowerment — all critical to the long-term development and well-being of children with special healthcare needs.

The initiative is expected to serve as a replicable and scalable model for integrated paediatric neuro-rehabilitation across the country, while also contributing to global discourse on inclusive and holistic child health practices, said Kotecha.