The two-day 35th state level conference of the Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI) organised by the Wynadu district committee in Kerala concluded with the association passing 22 resolutions including demand for co-locating allopathy and ayurvedic systems under one roof.
Besides the demand for co-location, other resolutions included setting up of a separate Ayush department in Kerala in line with the central Ayush controlling agency, framing of a Medical Practitioners Act (MPA) for the whole jurisdiction of Kerala before implementing the Clinical Establishment Act (CEA), inclusion of Ayurveda into the syllabus of the school education to provide basic knowledge of the system to the students, equal salary system to Ayurveda doctors on par with allopathic doctors, action against treatment by quacks claiming indigenous healing, start PG diploma courses in Ayurveda, etc.
The association has submitted the memorandum to the state and central governments through legislators who attended the conference. The association informed the state minister PK Jayalakshmi and the parliament member M I Shawnavas at the meeting that several of the Indian states have already implemented the scheme of co-locating modern and traditional systems in one place. The medical officers claimed that co-locating two or more systems in one place would help people opt for a system of treatment on their own choice.
The annual meeting of AMAI felt that Ayurveda could be strengthened and developed in Kerala only through policy execution by a separate department. The department can provide numerous healthcare benefits to the general public. The ayurvedic practitioners are of the opinion that if a separate Ayush department is established in Kerala, it would help develop education and research in the traditional healthcare systems of the country. By including Ayurveda in the school curriculum, the students will be able to get basic information about the traditional healing system of the state.
The association sought immediate action from the government to start PG diploma courses on various specialties. The Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) has launched several PG diploma courses. But so far no course was started in Kerala.
AMAI has made a scathing attack on the government for not giving due respect to Ayurveda in the health policy of the state, which is dominated by allopathy. In one of the resolutions, the AMAI regretted that even though Kerala is the hub of Ayurveda, not all the panchayaths in the state have ayurvedic dispensaries.
Through one resolution the association pointed out that the draft health policy released by the Kerala government does not take a comprehensive approach in the utilization of total health infrastructure available in the state as envisaged by the national health policy and the central government policy on Ayush. The ayurvedic fraternity has complained that the draft policy belittles the potentials of Ayurveda, hence their suggestions should be considered with due importance.
The state conference was inaugurated by MV Sreyams Kumar MLA and presided by Dr K G Vinod Kumar, president of AMAI.
State minister PK Jayalakshmi, MI Shawnavas MP, executive committee member of CCIM, Dr VG Udaya Kumar, member of CCIM, Dr K Ram Mohan, national secretary of AMAI, Dr Rejith Anand etc.. attended the two-day conference.