GURUGRAM: Several doctors at private hospitals in the city carried out a relay hunger strike on Thursday demanding withdrawal of the Centre’s notification allowing post-graduate practitioners of Ayurveda to be trained in surgical procedures. These protesting doctors are associated with the Gurugram chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
“Central Council of Integrated Medicine (CCIM) has published a notification permitting Ayurveda Doctors to conduct 58 modern surgeries, including cataract, tympanoplasty, mastoidectomy, orthopaedic surgeries, urology surgeries, gynecological procedures, general surgery that include laparotomy, intestinal resection and dental procedures. This notification is hazardous to the health of the citizens. It encourages an unprecedented and unscientific mix of different medical specialities,” said Dr MP Jain, president, IMA, Gurugram.
The strike will continue till February 14. “We will carry out a candle march on February 5,” Jain said.
“It would be wise to encourage Ayurveda and all traditional forms of medicine to conduct research in their own fields and develop them for the betterment of the country. This kind of mixopathy will play havoc and cause loss of life and limb of unsuspecting citizens of India,” said Dr Rajesh Kataria, secretary, IMA (Gurugram).
Indian Medical Association vehemently opposes this attempt at destroying the health of the nation and seeks your kind support in withdrawal of this notification with immediate effect, doctors said.
The protesting doctors will be wearing black badge for 11 days during working hours. Emergency services, such as casualty, labour rooms, intensive care units and emergency surgeries will continue functioning as they have been exempted from the strike, doctors said.
In Gurugram, 1,000 doctors of IMA Gurugram carried out a protest in 25 hospitals on December 8 on the same issue. The doctors were from Medanta, Artemis, Columbia Asia, Paras, Shivam,Lal, Pushpanjali, Kalyani and Aryan hospitals.