The IMA's nation-wide strike is against the Union government's decision to allow ayurveda students to obtain general surgery training.
Despite Indian Medical Association (IMA) calling for a nation-wide strike of doctors and shut down of OPDs in private hospitals, several private hospitals in Bengaluru kept their out-patient departments (OPDs) operational on Friday.
The IMA's nation-wide strike is against the Union government's decision to allow ayurveda students to obtain general surgery training. On November 20, the Central Council of Indian Medicine, which regulates ayurveda education, issued a notification that ayurveda graduates with postgraduate degrees can now be trained in 58 surgical procedures from modern medicine.
The IMA criticised the move and questioned the competence of Ayurveda medical students to carry out these procedures. They stated that such an outcome would be a public health hazard. Major private hospitals in Bengaluru, including Apollo Hospital (Jayanagar), Fortis Hospital, and Motherhood Hospitals kept their OPDs operational for the day.
However, Jain Hospital doctors came out in support of Indian Medical Association's nation-wide strike and kept the OPD shut for the day. Private and government hospitals treating Covid-19 continued to operate their OPDs, as they are mandated to do so under the Epidemics Act.
Earlier, the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), had seeked cooperation from the public saying that all other services including Covid-19 treatment, emergency services, in-patient treatment and dialysis would continue during the nationwide closure of OPDs.
The Central Council of Indian Medicine, which regulates ayurveda education, on November 20 issued a notification that ayurveda graduates with postgraduate degrees can now be trained in 58 surgical procedures from modern medicine.
The gazette notification issued by the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), a statutory body under the AYUSH Ministry, listed 39 general surgery procedures and 19 other procedures, involving the eye, ear, nose and throat, by amending the Indian Medicine Central Council (Post Graduate Ayurveda Education) Regulations, 2016.
While MBBS doctors have severely criticised the government move, Ayurveda doctors said they have been performing surgeries since decades, and in terms of competence, medical students of Ayurveda are very well-trained.
Meanwhile, the Health and Family Welfare Department has directed all district health officers (DHOs) and deans and superintendents of medical colleges to take adequate measures to address any emergent scenario and not to grant leave to staff.
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