AP: Doctors slam ‘mixopathy’, say it will jeopardise public health

VISAKHAPATNAM: Doctors from both government and private hospitals have opposed the Central Council for Indian Medicine’s (CCIM, under the Union ministry of Ayush) notification to legitimise ‘mixopathy’ (mixing of allopathy or modern medicine with homeopathy and ayurveda), which will permit Ayurveda postgraduates to perform a number of surgical procedures.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has been considering introducing an integrated MBBS medical curriculum by replacing the present system and has set up committees on the matter.

Doctors from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) across India observed ‘pledge day’ on Wednesday against this move. They also protested on AMC-KGH premises, stating that even a doctor who completes his postgraduation in surgery cannot perform all surgeries and must complete a three-year-long superspecialty.

Any move allowing untrained herbal medicine practitioners to perform surgeries is an issue that would affect medical systems and public health, pointed out doctors. “If the government wants to improve health of the people, they should improve infrastructure, increase GDP allocation for health but not by giving a knife to an untrained person,” said a PG medical student.

Neurosurgeon Dr MV Vijayasekhar, Central Working Committee member (CWC) of IMA said, “We are not against Indian system of medicines or Ayurveda but we are against mixing it with allopathic system. The government can encourage Ayush medicines by setting up Ayurvedic colleges and providing employment but Ayurveda should not encroach in modern medical surgeries and vice versa. Permitting Ayurvedic graduates to perform cataract surgery, skin grafting or other procedures should be undertaken only by superspecialists.”