Ayurvedic surgeons? Doctors from AIIMS, other hospitals join IMA's protest with black ribbons

NEW DELHI: Many doctors at several hospitals in the national capital, including AIIMS, on Friday sported black ribbons in support of the protest call of the IMA against the Centre's move allowing post graduate practitioners of Ayurveda to be trained in performing surgical procedures.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which had given the nation-wide call on December 1, has demanded the withdrawal of the notification.

Doctors at AIIMS, and various Delhi government-run facilities, including LNJP Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, DDU Hospital, GTB Hospital, BSA Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, and civic-run Hindu Rao Hospital performed duties while wearing black armbands and ribbons.

The Resident Doctors Association of AIIMS-Delhi, in a statement said, "This step will not only encourage already rampant quackery, but also undermine the safety of the public. We request the government of India to retract this notification immediately".

"We stand with our medical fraternity in this regard and support the strike called by Indian Medical Association," it said.

Shivaji Deb Barman, president of FORDA, an apex bodies of various RDAs in Delhi, said, doctors in Delhi will observe black ribbon protest, but "will not withdraw any services".

The IMA has given a call for the withdrawal of non-essential and non-COVID services between 6 am and 6 pm on Friday to protest against the notification.

The notification by the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) to allow legal practice of surgeries by Ayurveda practitioners and the formation of four committees by NITI Aayog for the integration of all systems of medicine will only lead to "mixopathy", the IMA has said.