IMA opposes Govt's move to allow Ayurveda doctors to perform surgery, calls strike on December 11

New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA), the apex body of Indian doctors, has strongly opposed the government’s move to allow the Ayurveda doctors to perform surgery.

The IMA has called for a strike on December 11 at 10,000 locations across the country to protest against the government notification listing surgeries that Ayurveda practitioners can perform.

#IMA withdraws all non-Eessential non-COVID Medical Services on December 11, 2020 (Friday) pic.twitter.com/AdWN4rcCnd — Indian Medical Association (@IMAIndiaOrg) December 9, 2020

Calling it ‘mixopathy’, the IMA had earlier also threatened to withdraw all non-essential, non-Covid services in hospitals and hold demonstrations across the country on December 8. 

Public demonstrations to be held by #IMA at 10,000 spots across India against #mixopathy on Tuesday, the 8th of December 2020 from 12 to 2 pm. — Indian Medical Association (@IMAIndiaOrg) December 7, 2020

The government notification issued on 20 November listed 58 varieties of surgeries that postgraduate Ayurveda medical students must be “practically trained to acquaint with, as well as to independently perform”. 

The gazette notification issued 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, orthopedic, ophthalmology, ENT and dental surgeries.

The IMA has criticised the move and questioned the competence of Ayurveda medical students to carry out these procedures. 

The term ‘mixopathy’, which doesn’t have a legal definition, is used to describe vital parts of modern medicine being mixed with Ayurveda or homeopathy. 

The IMA used the term in the current context of allowing Ayurveda postgraduates to perform the 58 surgeries.

While MBBS doctors have severely criticised the government move, Ayurveda doctors said they have been performing surgeries since decades, and in terms of competence, medical students of Ayurveda are very well-trained.