Members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and several doctors across India on Friday staged protests against the government decision to allow post-graduate Ayurveda doctors to perform select medical procedures.
R V Asokan, hony. secretary general, IMA, said: “The IMA appeals to the Central Government to desist from proceeding with mixopathy as the option for Universal Health Coverage. Withdrawal of the notification and dissolution of NITI Aayog committees of integration will be the steps in the right direction. IMA’s concerns are the concerns of the patients. IMA has no option but to intensify the agitation if the Government persists with mixopathy.’’
Gazette notification
A gazette notification, issued issued last month by the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), a statutory body under the AYUSH Ministry, listed 39 general surgery procedures and 19 other procedures, involving the eye, ear, nose and throat, by amending the Indian Medicine Central Council (Post Graduate Ayurveda Education) Regulations, 2016. These surgeries include general surgery, orthopaedic, ophthalmology, ENT and dental surgeries.
The IMA termed it ‘mixopathy’. It had threatened to withdraw all non-essential, non-COVID-19 services between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday to protest against the notification.
However, emergency medical services were exempted from the purview of the agitation.
The IMA said mixing the therapies would not work. “We demand withdrawal of the notification and the NITI Aayog committee for integration [of all medicine systems]. We urge the government to take into account the grievances of doctors against this mixopathy. The IMA will continue its agitation till our demands are met,” it noted.
Black bands
Doctors from the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi and other government hospitals wore black bands to register their protest. The Resident Doctors’ Association of AIIMS-Delhi, in a statement, said, “This step will not only encourage already rampant quackery, but also undermine the safety of the public. We request the government of India to retract this notification immediately”.
The IMA said in its release that doctors across the country withdrew services in all the districts of the country and the entire fraternity had demonstrated its anger against the steps towards mixopathy.
“Hunger strikes and Raj Bhavan marches have also been reported. All across the country, OPDs remained closed. Doctors from Government sectors participated in several places. The entire cross- section of the medical profession participated in full strength,’’ noted the release.
Robust modern medicine system
India had a robust modern medicine system and Indian doctors were skilled and affordable. “550-odd medical colleges are turning out around 1,00,000 doctors every year. There is only a lack of political will and investment to expand and strengthen services. States like Tamil Nadu and Kerala have employed MBBS doctors in PHCs on a permanent basis and deployed them gainfully 24x7. Around 1,50,000 young MBBS doctors are unemployed at any point of time trying their chances at PG NEET. Mixopathy for cheap labour will be a cruel joke on these young doctors,’’ said the IMA.
