Mangalore: “Yoga is good for health. There are cases where Yoga has worked for patients when medicines could not. We should consider Yoga as a form of exercise and nothing beyond that” said Health and family welfare minister U T Khader on Wednesday.

Addressing the media, Khader said that the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has decided to respond to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to observe June 21 as International Yoga Day and that the State government would consider Yoga only as a form of exercise.

He further informed that the CM will inaugurate the event in Bengaluru on June 21.

Meanwhile, after getting the Presidential nod for compulsory rural service for medical students, the health department plans to extend the working hours of PHCs with the help of those who have completed MBBS.

“We want to start this rural service this year and held talks with medical health education minister and officials to chalk out future plans. At present, PHCs are open from 8 am to 4 pm. To help the working class we want to extend the working hours to 8 pm with the help of students who pass MBBS this year and come for rural service,” Minister U.T. Khader added.

The committee headed by deputy commissioner and another committee headed by MLAs would monitor the service of these doctors, he informed.