On Friday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had called for complete closure of non-emergency medical services country wide to protest against a government’s notification for allowing post-graduate Ayurveda students to perform almost 58 surgeries from allopathy. The medical body said that all the clinics, dispensaries along with the OPDs will remain shut from 6am to 6pm.

Approximately 110,000 doctors are registered with Maharashtra Medical Council, including 45,000 from IMA who are expected to participate. The IMA association said that emergency services will continue. ICUs, accident & trauma services, COVID hospitals, maternity homes and neonatal ICUs will also continue to work.

A notification dated 20th November by the Central Council of Indian Medicine regulates Ayurveda education, had stated that Ayurveda graduates with postgraduate education would be trained in 58 surgeries from allopathic medicine.

Dr Avinash Bhondwe, IMA, President at Maharashtra said that the notice should be withdrawn. The government should promote research in each stream of medicine, instead of mixing all branches of medicine.

Dr Archana Kothari, President of Nagpur IMA said that many of these 58 surgeries are conducted by super specialist surgeons. Many specifications of these subjects are not even taught in the BAMS curriculum of Ayurveda. Therefore, it would be terrible for the patients, if these surgeries are performed with half dangerous knowledge.

Dr Sanjay Deshpande of IMA Maharashtra said that IMA is not against Ayurveda but the dispute is of mixing of different pathies, which can be detrimental.

Dr Prashant Nikhade, former IMA Nagpur president also said that instead of mixing the different streams of medicine and forming a superficial mixopathy, the government must promote research in each stream of medicine that would be useful.

Source: ET Healthworld