IMA doctors' strike hits medical services; essential facilities exempted

New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) reacted strongly to government’s decison to allow Ayurveda doctors to perform surgery.

The apex body of Indian doctors, called for a strike on December 11 across 10,000 locations throughout the country in protest. As per the government notification listing, Ayurveda practitioners can now perform surgeries.

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

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

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11 December 2020

15:06 IST

Mona Desai, a senior doctor from the city, said the government must not play with the health of people by allowing Ayurvedic doctors to do surgeries after a three-year course as principles of Ayurveda and modern medicines are different.

15:06 IST

Dr Kamlesh Saini, secretary, IMA (Gujarat branch) said, "Over 30,000 of our member-doctors from Gujarat, including 9,000 from Ahmedabad, have joined the protest today. We demand withdrawal of the CCIM Act 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."

14:53 IST

They're mixing the modern medical system with the traditional one. It takes 8-10 years to become a surgeon but the Centre is allowing Ayurvedic practitioners to perform it with only 3 years of training. It is a sort of experiment on people,” says IMA Assam State Chief

14:06 IST

Many doctors at several places in Bulandshahr observe one-day strike today in support of the protest call of the IMA against the Centre's move allowing post graduate practitioners of Ayurveda to be trained in performing surgical procedures. 

The protesting doctors are staging demonstration at Kale Aam road against the govt

12:20 IST

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.

12:18 IST

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.