SC seeks Centre's response on IMA plea against Ayurveda Docs conducting surgeries

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday sought a reply from the Central Government on the plea by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against a Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) order allowing post-graduate practitioners in specified streams of Ayurveda be trained to perform surgical procedures.

As per reports, the Ministry of Ayush, the Central Council of Indian Medicine CCIM and the National Medical Commission were issued a notice by the apex court seeking a reply on the petition.

The IMA has been opposing the Central Council of Indian Medicine's decision to allow ayurvedic doctors to conduct certain surgical procedures after completion of their three-year post-graduate course.

The IMA has been against the Indian Medicine Central Council (Post Graduate Ayurveda Education) Amendment Regulations, 2020, which authorizes post-graduate practitioners in specified streams of Ayurveda to be trained to perform surgical procedures.

The CCIM, a statutory body under the AYUSH Ministry to regulate the Indian systems of medicine, listed 39 general surgery procedures and around 19 procedures involving the eye, ear, nose and throat by amending the Indian Medicine Central Council (Post Graduate Ayurveda Education) Regulations, 2016.

While condemning the move by the government the IMA demanded to withdraw the order. The IMA has later moved to the apex court seeking the withdrawal of the amendment and declare that the council does not have the powers to include modern medicine in the syllabus.

The bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian sought a reply from the Centre in the matter within four weeks.

Last year in December about one million doctors protested against the Centres move and demanded its immediate withdrawal as it may led to 'mixopathy', saying "It is nothing but a blatant attempt at mixopathy and 'khichadification' of medical education and practice."

Defending the move Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik said there is no concept of "mixopathy" and asserted that ayurvedic practitioners are also trained to perform surgeries. He further stated that the idea behind allowing ayurvedic practitioners to perform medical surgeries was aimed at supporting the allopathic practice.

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