IMA Telangana opposes proposed integrated MBBS-BAMS course

Hyderabad: The Central govt's announcement to introduce an integrated medical course combining MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) and BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, has evoked strong criticism from the medical fraternity in Telangana.

The idea of the course stems from the National Medical Commission's (NMC) move of introducing modules on AYUSH to promote the integration of modern medicine with homoeopathy and Ayurveda.

Typically, it takes five and a half years to complete the MBBS course, including a year of mandatory internship.

Dr Dwarkanath Reddy, president, IMA Telangana, said that the integrated course could compromise the rigorous standards of modern medical education as it not only threatens modern medicine but also risks damaging Ayurveda by weakening its core principles.

"We recognise the importance of Ayurveda, but mixing it with medicine will not benefit either field as it does not align with the principles of modern medicine. Will a patient be given ayurvedic medicine after a medical surgery? Patients will be the ultimate losers this way as it strips them of their freedom to choose a preferred system of care," he said.

Earlier, the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) called the announcement a "regressive and unscientific move," stating that it sees no public health benefit in the govt's push for "mixopathy," a term coined for the integrated course.

Dr J Isaac Newton, president, T-JUDA, said that the new course risks producing inadequately trained practitioners, who can also be called "qualified quacks." "This is because they will lack expertise in either of the two disciplines. We should take the example of China, whose attempt to blend modern medicine with traditional Chinese medicine failed miserably and led to the weakening of its own indigenous system."

Doctors also appealed to practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine to unite in opposing the new policy for the benefit of both doctors and patients.