The Andhra Pradesh government’s decision to allow Ayurveda practitioners to perform surgical procedures across various disciplines has triggered a row with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) warning that it could compromise patient safety.
The NDA government, headed by N Chandrababu Naidu, recently approved 58 surgical procedures covering general surgery, ENT and ophthalmology that can be independently performed by Ayurveda practitioners who meet specified qualifications.
The IMA, however, vehemently opposed the move, saying it blurred the line between traditional medicine and modern medical practice.
The Health and Family Welfare Minister Satya Kumar Yadav, who belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party, cleared the proposal last week. The approval follows provisions under the Indian Medicine Central Council Regulations, 2020, and guidelines issued by the National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine.
The approved procedures are categorised under Shalya Tantra, which covers general surgery, and Shalakya Tantra, which includes ENT and ophthalmology.
Under Shalya Tantra, Ayurveda doctors are permitted to perform 39 general surgical procedures. These include wound debridement, abscess drainage, skin grafting, suturing, and the treatment of piles, fissures and fistulae. The list also covers hernia and hydrocele surgeries, urological procedures such as circumcision and cystolithotomy, trauma care including the reduction of fractures and dislocations, and abdominal emergencies such as appendicectomy, cholecystectomy and colostomy.
Under Shalakya Tantra, 19 ENT, eye and dental procedures are permitted. These include cataract and glaucoma surgeries, correction of eyelid and lacrimal disorders, septoplasty, nasal polyp removal, ear lobe repair, tonsillectomy, tooth extraction and cleft lip repair.
“We are not against Ayurveda, homeopathy, or Siddha. Ayurveda has existed for thousands of years, but we are asking the government to keep Ayurveda in its pure form. Why mix it with surgery? Surgery is not a simple skill. It takes nearly 10 years for a doctor to learn surgery properly,” said Dr Dilip Bhanushali, president of the IMA.
Dr Bhanushali said that the government’s decision would create problems for patients. Calling the new notification ‘really disturbing’, he said that IMA would submit a memorandum to the authorities demanding its withdrawal.
“This is one of the main agendas in the 100th All India Medical Conference set to take place on December 27 and 28 in Ahmedabad,” he said.
The IMA has been vocal against the Union government's plan to mix modern science with Ayurveda or Homoeopathy. In June this year, the organisation opposed the ‘Mixology’ on their X account. It also issued a press release condemning the ‘unscientific mix of different systems of medicine.’
Earlier, it also condemned the first integrative course, reportedly mixing Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) and MBBS to begin at JIPMER, Puducherry.
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