Ayurveda doctors can now perform surgeries. The central government has allowed post graduate (PG) Ayurveda students to practise general surgery alongside orthopaedic, ophthalmology, ENT, and dentistry. The training modules for surgical procedures will be added to the curriculum of Ayurvedic studies.
The Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) in its gazette notification allowed Ayurvedic PG passouts to receive formal training for such procedures. The development indicates the growing emphasis on traditional medicine under the Narendra Modi government.
Those pursuing an MS (Ayurveda) Shalya Tantra (general surgery) will be trained on 39 types of procedures whereas the PG students pursuing MS (Ayurveda) Shalakya Tantra (diseases of eye, ear, nose, throat, head and oro-dentistry) will receive training on another 19 procedures.
The surgical procedures on which the Ayurveda practitioners would receive training include excision of simple cyst, all types of skin grafting, ear lobe repair, all types of suturing, removal of metallic and non-metalic foreign bodies from non vital organs, operation for anal fistula and cataract operations besides multiple urological procedures.
Unhappy with the centres decision, Indian Medical Association, which is India’s biggest association of doctors condemned the move describing it as a retrograde step.
“Such mixing of the systems will be resisted at all costs. All over India students and practitioners of modern medicine are agitated over this violation of mutual identity and respect. What is the sanctity of NEET if such shortcuts are devised?” it said.
