As part of the agitation against “mixopathy”, the Tamil Nadu branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for withdrawal of services other than for COVID-19 and emergency essential services by all hospitals, nursing homes, scan centres, clinics from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on December 11.
On Tuesday, as part of the nation-wide protest called by IMA, members of the State branch would stage demonstrations in groups of 20 in various places across the State by involving doctors, students, and other speciality associations from noon to 2 p.m.
In a statement on Monday, IMA State unit president C.N. Raja and secretary A.K. Ravikumar demanded withdrawal of a notification of the Central Council of Indian Medicine approving MS (General Surgery) degree for Ayurveda graduates allowing them to perform 58 kinds of surgeries, including technically competent procedures such as cholecystectomy, cataract and plastic surgeries.
The association demanded withdrawal of four committees formed by NITI Aayog with the aim of one country one system of medicine — medical education, practice, public health and medical research to formulate means for integration of all systems of medicine — AYUSH and modern medicine into one system which is a mixopathy system.
“Mixopathy” would be detrimental to public, and the sanctity of individual system of medicine would get diluted and lost. Medical science was moving towards professionals with micro specialisation such as hepatologist, retina surgeon and micro surgeon, and the current policy of “mixopathy” degrades the Indian healthcare system, it said.
The association questioned what would happen to pre-anaesthetic medication and whether AYUSH had its own anaesthesia drugs and procedures. What about post-operative care and infection control, and surgical equipment? the association questioned.
“It is very obvious that AYUSH is dependent on modern medicine doctors, anaesthesia, antibiotics and equipment to perform modern medicine surgical procedures. It fails the test of logic behind such irresponsible initiative placing thousands of patients at risk,” the association said in a statement.
