The Government of India, through a notification in November 2020, has allowed post-graduate Ayurveda doctors Surgeons) to perform surgical procedures in a few specific areas: excisions of benign tumours, amputation of gangrene, nasal and cataract surgeries. This notification has not been received well by allopathic doctors, as seen through demonstrations and protests across the country. The protests have gone to the extent that several patients have had to suffer at OPDs of various hospitals and clinics. The IMA (Indian Medical Association), a representative organisation of allopathic doctors, have also demanded that the central government roll back the order. Countering IMA’s stand, several leading ayurvedic doctors, institutions, and pharma companies in the Ayurveda sector have come forward to lead the battle from the other side. This pretty much sums up the current impasse between the stakeholders of modern and traditional streams of medicine.
All these are happening at a time when ‘Integrative Medicine’ is taking roots in the country! Integrative medicine is nothing but using the best of both streams of medicine for the benefit of a patient. Success stories of various patients do reveal the benefits of such co-existence in this country. So, why is that this particular notification of allowing PG doctors specialised in a few surgeries has rattled the allopathic doctors of this country! Especially when there is no immediate threat to their profession or existence by any stretch of imagination in the near future. If the strike called by the allopathic doctors is in public interest, the effect of the strike on ailing patients defies that logic. With due respect to all allopathic doctors, suddenly, everything and everyone associated with Ayurveda have become ‘bad’, to use a mild word! It is this reaction of allopathic doctors that raises alarm. I don’t know what to call this sort of behaviour and what causes this kind of reaction.
- Is it the typical ‘big-brother’ attitude?
- Is it the complex arising out of superiority?
- Is it the fear of losing the ‘market share’ for their doctors, hospitals, allopathic medicines, etc. in the long run?
- Do they think that public health is the domain of only allopathic doctors?
Many such questions come to the fore; but I do not want to speculate any further on those. All I say is that it is sad to see the ‘name-calling’ spree going on between two respected groups of health-care professionals.
Ayurveda does not need to be treated like a second-class citizen in its own country of birth. Ever since independence, there have been various attempts to disregard Ayurveda and its practitioners through regulations citing the acts of a few quacks. By that logic, there are several quacks in the field of allopathy also. Different yardsticks are used to measure the negligence of allopathic doctors and that of ayurvedic doctors. Negligence of an allopathic doctor ‘may’ lead to cancellation of his/her license; while the negligence of an ayurvedic doctor surely leads to not only cancellation of his/her license but also ends up in discrediting the whole system of medicine. There are umpteen examples of this happening in the country. Inequality doesn’t end here. I will reserve all that for some other time.
Allopathy is what it is today because of the advancements in the allied fields of science and technology such as material science, biotechnology, radiology, and biochemistry. What is wrong if an ayurvedic surgeon/doctor uses the knowledge of allied sciences and those technologies to treat his or her patients using ayurvedic medicines and treatment methodology? After all, science and technology are for public good. Aren’t they?
So, for the sake of public health, may both streams of medicines co-exist and remain inter-dependent. And leave it to the ‘market’ to decide on what it wants.
No more pressure.
No more suppression.
No more inequality.
Let there be a level-playing field for Ayurveda too. If IMA agrees to it, the respect of allopathic doctors will go up by many folds in this country.
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