Visakhapatnam to have State’s first naturopathy college

Andhra Pradesh will soon have its first government naturopathy college in Visakhapatnam. Admissions for Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yoga Sciences (BNYS) will begin from academic year 2026-27, said Minister for Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Satya Kumar Yadav in a statement on Sunday (August 24).

The naturopathy college will have 50 seats. The government has also sent proposals for establishment of a naturopathy hospital with 50 beds, the Minister said. Apart from these, the Minister said an integrated AYUSH hospital is also coming up in Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, as part of the government’s efforts to bring services offered under the traditional medicine such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy (AYUSH) closer to people. The Kakinada hospital would be open to the public in three months.

An Ayurveda medicine manufacturing and quality testing unit is being constructed in Visakhapatnam and nearing completion, the Minister said. The Minister recalled that the Centre had approved establishment of a naturopathy college and two integrated AYUSH hospitals in 2016. Work on these, stalled during the YSRCP tenue, has resumed now, with release of funds for the hospitals and college, the Minister said.

An amount of ₹7.17 crore and ₹4.18 crore has been sanctioned for the two integrated AYUSH hospitals in Kakinada and Visakhapatnam respectively. Similarly, ₹4.08 crore has been sanctioned for the naturopathy college. The Minister added that proposals have been sent to the Centre for the establishment of an Ayurvedic Medical College in Kakinada and Dharmavaram.