Expressing solidarity with the Indian Siddha Medical Graduates Association (ISMGA) for their agitation over redesigning the Ayush course titles by the vice chancellor of TN Dr MGR Medical University, the Kerala chapter of the Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI) has made a scathing attack on the University’s move.
Coming down heavily on the blatant attack on ISM courses by the vice chancellor, Dr Mayil Vahanan Natarajan, AMAI has alleged that the vice chancellor might have a hidden agenda to eradicate the Indian Systems from its own land. While speaking to Pharmabiz, Dr Rejith Anand, the Secretary of AMAI said the actions of the vice chancellor have shocked and dismayed all those who see the universities as places of learning. He said it is the duty of the VC to facilitate all the health sciences students update their knowledge with the advances in medical sciences, whether it is Indian or western.
Meanwhile, by seeing the story in Pharmabiz, the reporter of BBC from London has contacted the president of ISMGA asking about the steps taken by the university in revamping of ISM courses.
While expressing deep anguish over the VC’s plan to remove the term ‘surgery’ from the nomenclature of ISM degrees, the AMAI secretary said several Ayush systems including Ayurveda have their own surgical methods like agnikarma, ksharakarama etc. He asked whether it is an offence if an Ayurveda medical practitioner opens a wound and drains the pus. “Nobody will go to an Ayurveda doctor for cardiac surgery or spinal surgery. Even the layman goes for minor surgeries only to specialist surgeons and not to mere MBBS doctors,” Dr Rejith said.
Regarding revamping of syllabus, he said the syllabus for Ayush courses is designed by Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) and respective committees. Dr Mayil Vahanan has nothing to do with the syllabus of Ayush courses. He is vested with the powers to implement the guidelines issued by concerned authorities. According to Dr Rejith, the father of surgery is Susruthacharya who was not an allopath. The allopath only modifies the practices by means of scientific developments. Since the VC is an ortho surgeon he may not have knowledge about Ayush treatments, he commented.
“Irrational disputes between systems of health sciences will not fetch any good result for the public. The common man has the right to choose his option and he knows very well where to go for better healthcare,” he added.
On March 26, Dr Mayil Vahanan Natarajan sent a letter to the Union health minister, Dr Gulam Nabi Azad, requesting him to consider the term ‘surgery’ suffixed to each undergraduate ISM course be removed and the nomenclature of the courses be redesigned accordingly. He wrote in the letter that the term ‘surgery’ could be used only when the candidate was exposed to the training for performing surgeries on the patients.
Earlier there was allegation that the VC had tried to take away some portions dealing with modern medical sciences from the syllabus of these courses.