Nationwide strike by IMA against government's move to allow Ayurveda doctors to perform surgery

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for a nationwide doctors’ strike on December 11, to protest against the government notification which authorises post-graduate practitioners in specified streams of Ayurveda to train and perform general surgical procedures.

The nationwide protests are to take place at 10,000 different locations across the country to protest against the government notification listing surgeries that Ayurveda practitioners can perform. This may cause major disruptions in healthcare services across the country amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for withdrawal of all non-essential and non-covid services between 6 am and 6 pm on Friday. However, emergency services, including casualty, labour rooms and emergency surgeries, will be exempt from the strike along with ICU and CCU.

Indian Medical Association has also indicated that the agitation may intensify in the coming weeks. Private hospitals across the country have raised concern over the strike and are taking steps to ensure smooth functioning of services.

The IMA alleged that misappropriating 58 surgical techniques and procedures of several specialties will end up only in compromising with patient care and safety. 

The government notification issued on November 20, this year listed 58 types of surgeries that postgraduate Ayurveda medical students must be "practically trained to acquaint with, as well as to independently perform". 

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.

These surgeries include general surgery, orthopedic, ophthalmology, ENT and dental surgeries.

IMA has appealed to all sister professional speciality organisations, organisations of medical college teachers, government soctors, Resident Doctors Associations, medical students and hospitals associations to support its cause to retain the separate identity and existence of modern medicine, said RV Asokan, secretary general, IMA.

On Tuesday, doctors in private and government sectors across the country had demonstrated against the notification in ayurveda surgery by Central Council of Indian Medicine.