The Union health ministry has asked the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) to develop a draft curriculum of different level of bridge courses for Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani graduate and post graduate doctors to provide them competency to practice preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative allopathic medicine in respect to the commonly encountered health problems.

The ministry's action in this regard was triggered by a letter from the Medical Education & Drugs Department, Government of Maharashtra seeking opinion of the Medical Council of India (MCI) on practice of allopathy by homoeopathy practitioners in the State of Maharashtra.

In its reply, the MCI has clarified to government of Maharashtra that no person other than a doctor having qualification recognised by MCI and registered with MCI or State Medical Councils is allowed to practice Modern System of Medicine or Surgery. A person obtaining qualification in any other system of medicine is not allowed to practice Modern System of Medicine in any form.

Intervening in the issue, the health ministry directed the states that, in view of the judgment given on 8.10.1998 by the Supreme Court in the case of Dr Mukhtiya Chand vs State of Punjab, the law prevailing in respective states relating to registration of practitioners of modern scientific medicine may be amended to provide an enabling provision to allow the enrollment of an Indian System of Medicine (ISM) professionals in the State Medical Register for registration of the practitioners of modern medicine, as maintained by the respective State Medical Councils.

Simultaneously, the Department of Ayush asked the CCIM to develop draft curriculum of different level of bridge courses for Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani graduate and post graduate doctors to provide them competency to practice preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative allopathic medicine in respect to the commonly encountered health problems.

CCIM is the statutory body constituted under the Indian Medicine Central Council Act. The main object of the Council is to prescribe minimum standards of education in Indian Systems of Medicine. Since its establishment in 1971, the Council has been framing on and implementing various regulations including the Curricula and Syllabii in Indian Systems of Medicine viz. Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani Tibb at Under-graduate and Post-graduate level. Now all the Colleges of Indian Systems of Medicine are affiliated to various Universities in the Country. These Colleges are following the minimum standards of education and Curricula and Syllabii, prescribed by Central Council.