Can Ayurveda doctors do surgeries? MCI says no

The Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Ayush ministry are divided over whether Ayurveda practitioners can do surgeries and where they can do them, with the ministry saying those appropriately trained can do them everywhere, but the medical education regulator insisting they cannot do so in hospitals for modern medicine.

A Central Information Commission (CIC) order had in June asked the Ayush ministry “to clarify upon the issue of entitlement and extent of practitioner of India system of medicine to perform surgeries lawfully”. The ministry had then said that surgeries were a part of the Ayurveda curriculum.

“They can perform whatever is in their syllabus, but there are obviously certain exceptions. They cannot perform all procedures, including certain major surgeries. For more clarity, we are drawing up a list of do’s and don’ts, so that we can convince the MCI,” said Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, secretary, Ayush.

The MCI has, however, refused to approve the stand of the Ayush ministry.

“We have refused, as under MCI rules, crosspathy (mixing different methods of medicine) isn’t allowed. MCI’s stand is quite clear on this -- Ayurveda surgeons cannot be mainstreamed. Surgery and associated procedures are part of modern medical science; whatever these practitioners are taught as part of their curriculum cannot be allowed to be practised in allopathic hospitals,” said Dr Reena Nayyar, secretary, MCI.

In March, the parliamentary standing committee reviewing the National Medical Commission Bill, 2017, had recommended against Ayush doctors practising allopathy after completing a short-term(bridge)course. Vaids from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) are trained to perform routine surgeries.

“It is a misconception that Ayurvedic doctors cannot perform surgeries. Apart from performing Caesarean sections and hernia surgeries, Ayurveda surgeons have pioneered certain procedures for piles and fissure where modern medicine isn’t of much help,” says Dr VN Mishra, medical superintendent, Sir Sunderlal Hospital, BHU.

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