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Itanagar, Dec. 12 (PTI): Doctors in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday sported black badges and observed a token strike in support of IMA against the notification by the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) to allow post-graduate Ayurveda students to study and practice allopathic surgical procedures.
They, however, attended their usual duties and OPD and other medical services functioned normally, president of Arunachal Pradesh unit of Indian Medical Association (IMA-AP) Lobsang Tsetim said.
The IMA-AP did not go for the bandh call but wore black badges in solidarity with the central IMA. The decision was taken as Arunachal Pradesh has a limited number of doctors and a total bandh call could affect the healthcare delivery system, he said.
Opposing the government notification, the Arunachal Pradesh unit of IMA said that the mixing of streams of medicines in surgery is not only hazardous to the health of the general people but may also be fatal.
Tsetim said modern medicines and Ayurveda are totally different subjects. The mixing of both will be detrimental to the health sector, he said and wondered who will be held responsible if a surgery by an Ayurveda graduate goes wrong.
The association, however, has no issue with the practicing of medicine by Ayurveda students, he said.
The IMA-Arunachal Pradesh unit has also requested the state government to oppose and not implement the CCIM notification in the state and will seek its withdrawal.
The demands of the IMA include withdrawal of the four committees of the NITI Aayog, mixing of all systems of medicines and the National Education Policy, which proposes to phase out all institutions offering single streams and that all universities and colleges must aim to become multidisciplinary by 2040.
Many doctors in Meghalaya on Friday sported black badges in support of the protest call of the IMA against the Centre's move allowing post-graduate practitioners of Ayurveda to be trained in performing surgical procedures.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which had given the nation-wide call has demanded withdrawal of the notification.
IMA Meghalaya chapter secretary Dr Bhaskar Borgohain said doctors here protested by wearing black badges while attending to patients.
The IMA has given a call for withdrawal of non- essential and non-COVID services between 6 am and 6 pm on Friday to protest against the notification.
The notification by the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) to allow legal practice of surgeries by Ayurveda practitioners and the formation of four committees by NITI Aayog for integration of all systems of medicine will only lead to "mixopathy", the IMA has said.
The Mizoram chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Indian Dental Association (IDA) on Friday strongly opposed the Centre's move allowing post-graduate practitioners of Ayurveda to be trained in performing surgical procedures.
Though the Mizoram chapter of the IMA did not join the strike called by the IMA, it voiced its opposition to the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) notification and raised the slogan "no to mixopathy or crosspathy in healthcare".
Leaders of Mizoram chapter of the IMA and IDA opposed 'mixophathy' in healthcare and said that it is not possible to easily diagnose ailments and suggest a treatment as the types of diseases are numerous.
"This decision is detrimental to public health. We are not against Ayurveda but the crossover with allopathy," the leaders of IMA Mizoram chalpter told a press conference here.