More than 30,000 Gujarati doctors joined the national protest called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday against the Center’s decision to allow postgraduate Ayurvedic doctors to perform certain types of surgeries after training.
However, the emergency medical services will not be affected as they have been exempted from the scope of the turmoil.
The IMA has called for the withdrawal of all non-essential and non-Covid-19 services between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Friday across the country against the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) decision to allow Ayurvedic physicians perform certain surgical procedures after completion of their 3-year PG course, IMA officials here said.
The IMA is the nation’s leading body of allopathic physicians.
“However, emergency services will continue, including emergency services, delivery rooms, emergency surgeries, ICU and intensive care services.
“More than 30,000 of our Gujarat member physicians, including 9,000 from Ahmedabad, have joined the protest today,” said Dr. Kamlesh Saini, IMA (Gujarat Branch) Secretary.
“We demand the withdrawal of the notification of the CCIM Law and the NITI Aayog committee for the integration (of all medical systems).
“We urge the government to take into account the complaints of doctors against this myxopathy. The IMA will continue its agitation until our demands are met, ”Saini said.
Mona Desai, a senior city doctor, said the government should not play with people’s health by allowing Ayurvedic doctors to perform surgeries after a three-year course, as the principles of Ayurveda and modern medicine are different
“The CCIM order says that Ayurvedic graduate students will receive some training in modern medicine during their 3-year course, after which they will be able to perform 58 different types of surgeries.
“Modern medicine doctors spend 8 to 10 years learning the same thing. So if that can be accomplished in just three years, why do we spend so many years learning them? “asked Desai, immediate past president of the Ahmedabad Medical Association.
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