Hyderabad: The relay hunger strike by doctors of the Indian Medical Association across the country and in Telangana has entered its tenth day, with several senior doctors and long-standing members of the IMA in the Telangana chapter are participating as they strongly object to the "mixing of different medical streams".
The mixing of modern medicine with AYUSH is strongly objected to by the IMA doctors. Senior doctors say that this policy will harm modern medicine practice and lower the morale of students, who will be left confused about which medical stream they must study.
"People, in general, are not aware of the consequences but when it is put in practice there will be major confusion in the society," doctors said.
Dr M. Sampath Rao, president-elect of the TS IMA said, “the Central Council of Indian Medicine gave a gazette notification on November 19, 2020, permitting Ayurvedic postgraduates to perform 58 categories of modern surgeries after just six months of training. The Indian Medical Association strongly condemns this type of mixopathy.”
The surgeries that can be carried out by AYUSH doctors will include general surgery, gynaecology, ophthalmology, ENT, plastic and others.
Dr Krishna Reddy, IMA Building Trust Chairman said, “Modern medicine MBBS graduates are allowed to practice the super speciality in which they are trained. Eye surgeons cannot do an ENT surgery. But the CCIM order is to get trained and carry out surgeries. This is dangerous for people’s health. If the order is not withdrawn we are going to intensify our protests.”
The biggest problem is that presently modern medicine and AYUSH are different. When it will be mixed people will not know which doctor is treating them.
Dr Dwarakanatha Reddy, past state secretary of IMA says, “Mixing will lead to a lot of confusion and purpose will not be served. It is better to strengthen AYUSH independently and popularize traditional branches of study.”
Terming the order illogical and unscientific Dr Mohan Reddy, president of IMA, north branch Hyderabad, said that bad reputation will be created for modern medicine. Dr Reddy says, “training has to be given in modern medicine hospitals which is illogical. When surgeries go wrong modern medicine will be blamed and not AYUSH.”
Doctors from districts and senior doctors from the city have come together and are protesting at the IMA headquarters in Koti. Dr P R Saikumar, chairman of medi bulletin of IMA, Dr Lingamurthy, Dr Sai S Udaker, Dr Jatin, Dr Mukund, Dr Veer Kumar, Dr Raghunandan and others have also participated on the 10th day.
