Dr Santanu Sen National President, Indian Medical Association (IMA) urged Board of Governors of Medical Council of India to withdraw decision to provide for study of Ayurveda, Unani, Naturopathy, Sidhha and Homeopathy (AYSUH) as an ‘elective’ for the under-graduate learner of the MBBS Course in the curriculum to be given effect from the Academic Session (2019-2020) across the country.
As such I need to put following posers to your good self to clarify to all concerned:
- 1) How, exactly the said elective which is included in the MBBS curriculum stands covered under the definition of the word “modern medicine’ as defined under Section 2 of the MCIAct?
- 2) Under what authority and permissibility it is open and available for the Board of Governors to breach the scope and mandate of the said binding definition included under Section 2 of the Act?
- 3) Further, the said incorporation how exactly fits into the ambit of the specific inclusions explicitly incorporated in the definition of the word modern medicine included in Section 2 of the Act.
The entire attempt on part of the Board of Governors is impermissible in nature, unethical in character legally violation of the binding rules is a coward and calculated attempt of validating the proposal of ‘Bridge course’ for the AYUSH learners.
The competency based curriculum for the MBBS students readied by the Academic Committee of the then Medical Council of India catalogues the competencies under the rubric of modern medicine, on the basis that the graduates will be entitled to practice them on their registration with the concerned State Medical Council and accruable privileges as ‘registered medical practitioners’.
Needless to state that the said privileges on part of the registered medical practitioner would be practiced under the ethical jurisdiction of the binding code of medical ethics prescribed by the Medical Council of India and enforced by the registering State Medical Council as a ‘trying’ agency with Medical Council of India bestowed with ‘appellate’ jurisdiction.
The material question, I would like to pose to you is that as to how a registered medical practitioner would be entitled to practice competency of any stream of medicine other than modern medicine?
Which authority will be having ethical jurisdiction of such a ‘hybrid graduate for regulating ethical practice?
Who would be having the onus of enforcing ethical practice including negligence thereto or breach of mandate in regard to services by such a hybrid graduate?
The entire approach and effort is totally in the form of mockery of the scope, mandate, authority, jurisdiction and future of modern medicine education diligently build over a period of time, unfortunately at the hands of modern medicine graduates as Board of Governors which is not only tragic, painful, harming, hurting but paradoxical as well.
Be that it may, at this juncture I need to clearly spell out to your good self that Indian Medical Association construes this approach on your part of inclusion of AYUSH effective in the competency based under graduate curriculum for the MBBS Course as a clear cut action of ‘trespass’ which is illegal, impermissible, unethical and immoral as well in the context of professional ethics and the ambit and coverage of modern medicine so clearly spelt out in definition of the word ‘modern medicine’ under Section 2 of the Act.
Frankly speaking in realty in doing so, I have no hesitation in putting across candidly that the ‘custodial role’ that is to be dispensed by the Board of Governors has been dealt in the most trespassing manner resulting in grossest possible breach of the said custody.
“As such I am constrained to inform you that if the said move is not withdrawn forthwith, the Association will be required to take a public position on the same through appropriate permissible modalities in larger public interest and also for upholding the purity and sanctity of the medical education as a whole”.
It is moral and ethical duty of each and every medical practitioner to be well verse with the principles of ALL the different type of system of medicines on this earth so that patient is not left to himself for the selection of most appropriate system of medicine in his case at that juncture of his disease. Any damn doctor or layman objecting on this is not thinking from patients point of view.
Mixing the practicce of different medical systems with out deep understand of that system is certainly unethical. This can’t be done in three or sux month training.
What is proposed is appreciation or sensitaisation on the strength of different Ayush systems in health care so as to evolve a proper reffereal system, so that the patients get valid information on treatment on Thursday condition.
This sensitiation may be good to avoid misconceptions about other systems.
Any system of treatment is regulated by own Principles, Act and Regulations and if ones is mixed with other there will be no entity of that particular system of treatment.