Ayurveda docs, IMA in tiff over panel inclusion

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Public Health bill passed during the recently-held assembly session has led to a strong tiff between doctors practising modern medicine and Ayurveda.

A delegation of Ayurveda doctors led by Dr Adrash C Ravi, general secretary of Vishwa Ayurveda Parishad, met governor Arif Mohammed Khan to raise their concerns against the bill, passed by the House, wherein they said Ayush has not been given any consideration.

They alleged that Ayush doctors have been neglected in all the committees under the law. Ayush doctors have not been included in the state-, district- and local-level committees to decide on treatment protocols and other policies during an epidemic threat.

Though registered medical practitioners can issue fitness certificates from the epidemic, those rights have not been given to Ayush doctors in the treatment during the epidemic, said Dr Ravi.

Meanwhile, Indian Medical Association (IMA) has come out against the move to include Ayush doctors in the committees under the law. “Though IMA welcomes the public health act, it will protest against any move to include those who have no connection with public health in the committees that determine the treatment protocols and other policies,” said IMA state president Dr N Sulphi.

“There has to be a scientific approach for curbing the spread of the epidemic and worldover, modern medicine has been followed for this scientific approach. Any kind of practices which have no scientific backing will be putting the people under risk,” said Dr Sulphi.

IMA has decided to approach the chief minister, health minister and the governor requesting not to include doctors from Ayush.