Share
Indore, Dec. 12 (PTI): Protesting against the Union government's decision to allow post-graduate practitioners of Ayurveda to be trained in surgical procedures, nearly 8,000 doctors, mostly from the private sector, struck work in Madhya Pradesh on Friday.
The protest did not have much impact on the functioning of big hospitals in the state.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had given a nation-wide call for protest against what it termed as "mixopathy".
"Nearly 8,000 doctors across the state went on a strike. Most of them are from the private sector," IMA state unit vice-president Sanjay Londhe said.
"We are not against Ayurveda, but giving permission to them to perform general surgeries would lead to wrong practices which will directly affect common patients," he said.
Dentists and junior doctors also supported the IMA call, but doctors providing emergency services did not take part in the strike in view of the coronavirus situation, he said.
Around 1,500 doctors in Goa took part in the nationwide protest called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday against the Centre's decision to allow post-graduate Ayurvedic physicians to perform certain types of surgeries after training.
As a mark of protest, these 1,500 doctors attended only the emergency cases, an IMA official said.
"We had not planned any morcha or dharna due to Covid-19 restrictions. But all 1,500 members participated in the protest, as part of which they attended only emergency cases," IMA's Goa unit president Dr A Samuel told PTI.
An IMA delegation on Friday met Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik, and submitted to him a memorandum seeking withdrawal of the notification that allows post-graduate practitioners of Ayurveda to be trained in performing surgical procedures, he said.
Private hospitals, nursing homes, and diagnostic centres in Uttar Pradesh on Friday extended support to the strike called by the IMA against the Centre's move allowing post graduate practitioners of Ayurveda to be trained in performing surgical procedures.
Emergency services and treatment of Covid-19 patients have been exempted from the strike.
Government doctors are not a part of the strike .
According to the Uttar Pradesh unit president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Dr Ashok Rai, there are 21,500 private hospitals, pathologies, diagnostic centres and private doctors in the state who are observing strike.
During this period, only treatment of COVID-19 patients and emergency services will remain functional, he said, adding that Indian Dental Association has also extended its support to the IMA.
Elaborating on the reasons for observing the strike, Dr Rai said Ayush doctors have been given permission to conduct surgeries after taking a bridge course.
Over 30,000 doctors from Gujarat joined the nationwide protest called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday against the Centres decision to allow post-graduate Ayurvedic physicians to perform certain types of surgeries after training.
However, emergency medical services will remain unaffected as they have been exempted from the purview of the agitation.
The IMA has called for withdrawal of all non-essential and non-Covid-19 services between 6 am and 6 pm on Friday across the country against the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) decision to allow Ayurvedic doctors to conduct certain surgical procedures after the completion of their 3- year PG course, said IMA office-bearers here.