The Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI) has urged for immediate government intervention in the issue regarding recognition for PG medical seats in the state. They stated that the PG seats in the Government Ayurveda College here, Thripunithura and Kannur were under threat of losing their recognition. The Ayush Department had issued a notice that the seats in the ‘balachikitsa’, ‘dravyagunam’, ‘vishachikitsa’, ‘swasthavritham’, ‘sthreerogam’, ‘kayachikitsa’ and ‘panchakarma’ sectors cannot be given recognition. A similar situation exists with the ‘dravyagunam’, ‘panchakarma’ and ‘marmachikitsa’ departments of the Thripunithura Ayurveda College as well as the physiology department of Kannur Ayurveda College. The Ayush Department had set aside the recommendation of the Central Council of Indian Medicine to maintain these seats. The reason for the present crisis is the shortage of teachers in the respective departments. The AMAI demanded that when there are more teachers in a college, they should be redeployed to those having a shortage. If this does not solve the problem, the AMAI suggested the re-appointment of retired teachers on a temporary basis as the government had not taken steps to fill the vacancies, as recommended by the Ayush. While many posts in government and private sectors were lying vacant due to shortage of MD graduates, further cutting down of MD seats would only make the situation grave. “This would create a crisis not only in the ayurveda medical education but the lack of specialist doctors would also affect the treatment sector,” the AMAI said in a statement here on Monday. The AMAI alleged that the state had lost seats even in previous occasions as it failed to appoint teachers within the prescribed time. While the Ayush gave the state a deadline of October 31 for the redeployment of teachers, the AMAI urged the government to immediately intervene and solve the crisis as soon as possible.