IMA’s strike on December 11: Here’s why doctors are fuming   

In the middle of a raging pandemic, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has asked doctors to stop services on December 11 to protest Centre’s proposal for ‘mixopathy; that allowed Ayurveda doctors to perform surgeries based on modern scientific medicine.

On November 19, a government notification listed out specific surgical procedures that a postgraduate medical student of Ayurveda must be “practically trained to acquaint with, as well as to independently perform”. The notification has invited sharp criticism from the Indian Medical Association, which questioned the competence of Ayurveda practitioners to carry out these procedures and called the notification an attempt at “mixopathy”.

Furious over the government’s this notification, IMA has asked doctors to not indulge in non-essential and non-COVID-19 matters on the December 11.

What is the matter all about?

In a gazetted notification issued last month, Central The Council of Indian Medicine said that Ayurveda practitioners will be able to perform procedures like skin grafting, cataract surgery, and root canal treatment legally.

How far is surgery part of Ayurveda?

There are two branches of surgery in Ayurveda: Shalya Tantra, which refers to general surgery, and Shalakya Tantra pertains to surgeries related to the eyes, ears, nose, throat, and teeth.

All postgraduate students of Ayurveda have to study these courses, and some go on to specialise in these and become Ayurveda surgeons.

So, what is new?

The notification mentions 58 surgical procedures that Ayurveda postgraduate students must train themselves in and acquire skills to perform independently. These include procedures in general surgery, urology, surgical gastroenterology, and ophthalmology. Ayurveda practitioners say the latest notification remove question marks on the ability of an Ayurveda practitioner.

Why IMA is opposing?

The notification has invited sharp criticism from the Indian Medical Association, which questioned the competence of Ayurveda practitioners to carry out these procedures and called the notification an attempt at “mixopathy”.