The Indian Medical Association (IMA) said that their members and modern medicine doctors have started a relay hunger strike from Monday at more than 50 places throughout the country. This strike is in protest against a notification given by the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) that authorised the post-graduate practitioners of Ayurveda to conduct and perform general surgical procedures.

The IMA also mentioned that the new procedure can lead to "mixopathy". IMA national president, secretary-general along with the other IMA leaders are going to visit many places across the country to boost the public safety movement. According to the doctors body statement stated that the relay strike will continue till 14th February. It said that the women doctors are going to lead the nationwide hunger strike on 7th February.

The IMA has condemned the notification by the CCIM, which is a statutory body under the AYUSH Ministry for authorising the post-graduate practitioners in specific streams of Ayurveda to get trained to perform surgical procedures as excisions of benign tumours, nasal and cataract surgeries, amputation of gangrene, etc.

IMA has demanded the immediate withdrawal of this unscientific, impractical and unethical notification. All the specialty associations throughout the country have already joined the strike through the Federation of Medical Associations under the support of IMA. The Dental Association, too, has joined this national movement.

The IMA is going to launch a massive awareness drive in the country for it is a clear threat to the safety and health of people. It will also release awareness posters and banners in the country.

The statement said that all the IMA members must update their Members of Parliament and MLAs about the exact picture of the notification and integration policy. The IMA will also give its reasoning representations to all state governments. All the NGOs will be updated with the primary issues under the Save People Movement Also, internationally, the IMA shall explain the several associations from different countries regarding this unscientific notification. The global voice of modern medicine will then echo the feelings of the IMA and its all members.

The IMA has asked its Medical Students’ Network (MSN), IMA Women’s’ Wing, Junior Doctors’ Network (JDN), IMA Hospital Board, medical colleges and in-service doctors for participating in the strike.

Source: mint