THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Back to Balance, an acupuncture centre based in Kalamassery, has disputed the Kerala State Medical Council’s authority to oversee acupuncture centres in Kerala. This comes in response to a report by TNIE highlighting the proliferation of illegal acupuncture centres in the state despite associated risks.
The clinic claims that the Union ministry has not given state medical councils any right to make regulations regarding acupuncture treatment. According to Zareena Jasmine, founder and director of Back to Balance and the joint secretary of the Acupuncture Joint Council (AJC), the state medical councils lack jurisdiction over acupuncture clinics, with the matter currently under the consideration of the health ministry.
Given the growing popularity of acupuncture over the past decade in the state, she emphasised the need for an independent regulating authority for alternative medicine.
“While former employees of the clinic had raised allegations before the state medical council, the Union ministry has stated that the medical councils do not have the authority to regulate the acupuncture sector,” Jasmine clarified.
She added that her company holds a licence from the Kalamassery municipality and has obtained clearances from the District Medical Office.
Back to Balance operates two centres in Kerala and one in Karnataka.