BERHAMPUR: The State branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA) as called for protests across Odisha on December 8 and a nationwide strike on December 11 against the Union government’s decision to allow post-graduate practitioners in some specific streams of Ayurveda to be trained to perform general surgeries.
In a virtual press meet, president of IMA state branch Dr Kamalakanta Panigrahy and secretary Braja Kishore Dash called upon all doctors practising modern medicine to stage public demonstrations across the state from 12 noon to 2 pm on December 8.
The association further asked the doctors to refrain from performing non-essential and non-Covid services on December 11 across the nation.
As per a notification issued by Union Ayush Ministry’s Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), post-graduate practitioners in some specified streams of Ayurveda are allowed to perform general surgeries.
Besides, the council has also called for formation of four committees by NITI Aayog for integration of all branches of medicine.
Dr Panigrahy said the recent policy tilt as evidenced in medical pluralism advocated under National Education Policy 2020 and the four committees of NITI Aayog for officially integrating the systems of medicine in medical education, practice, public health and administration as well as research ostensibly for a ‘one nation one system policy’ will ring the death knell for modern medicine system as a whole.
He said the notification to amend CCIM Act is yet another step towards legitimising ‘mixopathy’.
He said the medical associations of the state and medical students have joined hands with IMA to protest the changes in the policy.