Guwahati, Nov 2 : Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday said that the Ayurveda has been proven to be beneficial in the management of COVID-19 pandemic and it has been acknowledged worldwide. Sonowal inaugurated a 50 bedded Ayurvedic hospital at Dudhnoi in the Goalpara district of Assam. It is second such hospital to be opened in Assam in less than a month after Majuli ' and is equipped with all the major facilities including a state-of-the-art laboratory, a Panchakarma centre, an infertility clinic, a yoga unit apart from the OPD and IPD services. 'Ayurveda has gained worldwide acknowledgement for its role in managing the COVID 19 pandemic. At the world stage, the role of traditional medicine has been highlighted to complement and build a robust healthcare delivery system,' the minister said. He said that at the G20 Declaration has also laid emphasis on recognising the potential role of evidence based traditional medicine. He said that India has invested to revive the rich heritage of Ayurveda that has been healing humanity for thousands of years. 'As Assam, along with the rest of northeast, receives attention to become the engine of growth for the country's next economic resurgence, it is important to have a robust healthcare infrastructure, which is modern, inclusive and integrated,' he said. The newly inaugurated hospital in the Goalpara district is equipped with a state-of-the-art laboratory, a yoga unit, pharmacy etc. In order to make it a major centre of Ayush in the region, further development of USG facility, X ray & ECG facility, operation theatre, upgraded Laboratory as well as Labour room will be developed. An Ayush Educational Institution is also being constructed at the same campus, an official said. Sonowal said that as large people in India are now availing Ayurveda, the central government has decided to create an integrated healthcare ecosystem where one can heal of their illness and, at the same time, avail solutions to enrich their quality of lives. 'We will be building more Ayush healthcare infrastructure in Assam to sustain the demand for a vigorous healthcare in the state,' the minister added. /IANS