IMA plans struggle against surgeries for AYUSH grads

IMA plans struggle against surgeries for AYUSH grads

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 25.11.2020

The Indian Medical Association is preparing for a “long-drawn” struggle including boycott of work to protest against the central government notification authorising surgical procedures for AYUSH post-graduates, IMA state president Dr C N Raja has said.

The Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), a statutory body under the AYUSH ministry, on November 20 issued a notification listing 39 general surgery procedures and around 19 procedures involving the eye, ear, nose and throat by amending the Indian Medicine Central Council (Post Graduate Ayurveda Education) Regulations, 2016. “All these procedures fall under the ambit, authority and jurisdiction of modern medicine. They have been prescribed as the competencies ascribable to the postgraduate course titled MS (general surgery). A doctor performing these procedures needs specific modern medical skills and training,” Dr Raja said.

On Tuesday, members of the association gave a representation to the health department of Tamil Nadu urging it not to allow “mixopathy” in the state. Similar orders were passed in Tamil Nadu more than a decade ago. On June 29, 2010, a circular of the government, citing section 17(3)B of the Indian Medicine Central Council Act 1970, said institutionally qualified practitioners of siddha, ayurveda, unani and homeopathy are eligible to practise the respective system with modern scientific medicine “including surgery and obstetrics and gynaecology, anaesthesiology, ENT, based on training and teaching.”

On August 8, 2010, a government order (#248) allowed AYUSH practitioners to prescribe allopathic drugs. The issue was debated in detail in academic circles and dragged to court before the state made a policy decision against “mixopathy”. “Now, Tamil Nadu books AYUSH doctors for quackery if they prescribe allopathic medicines. Permitting doctors from other streams of medicine to practise surgery will be state-sponsored quackery that will be a serious public health hazard,” he said.

Health secretary J Radhakrishnan told TOI Tamil Nadu has opposed any mix-up of disciplines. “We have over 1 lakh doctors registered in the medical council. There is no shortage of doctors. We will continue to encourage all streams of medicines in their purest forms. Doctors can prescribe medicines and treatment as per their texts to willing patients. We encourage evidenced-based practices in respective streams,” he said.

Senior members of the IMA’s executive committee, who met in Chennai, later said it had been resolved that all associations of the fraternity and students are determined to resist this ill-advised adventure. “Health of generations of Indians is at stake. We are planning the agenda for the protest,” said state secretary Dr A K Ravikumar.

The state medical body, he said, has rejected AYUSH ministry’s clarification that the technical terms and the modern developments are a common heritage of mankind, a release from the association said. “The object and purpose of mixing the systems is perhaps borne out of a false claim on heritage. The medical colleges in Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai were established in the 19th century and remain the heritage of man,” he said.

We have over 1 lakh doctors registered in the medical council. There is no shortage of doctors. We will continue to encourage all streams of medicines in their purest forms

J Radhakrishnan | HEALTH SECY