The Rajya Sabha passed the National Medical Commission
(NMC) Bill on Thursday, with two new amendments. The Bill will be sent back to
the Lok Sabha again before the president gives his assent by signing the Bill
into a law.
Under the National Medical Commission, there will be 25%
public health experts, including all Ayush practitioners who can do limited
practice of modern medicine.
This will be done under Section 32 of the Bill, which
provides limited license to unqualified non-medical persons. They have been
termed “Community Health Providers”.
“…The Community Health Provider may prescribe specified
medicine independently, only in primary and preventive healthcare, but in cases
other than primary and preventive healthcare, he may prescribe medicine only
under the supervision of medical practitioners registered under sub-section (I)
of section 32…” This provision
allows them to independently practice modern medicine. Once given free hand, it
may well prove to be a formidable task for the government to check them.
This will benefit the pharmaceutical industry; the pharma
market in India, which was Rs. 123973 crores in 2018, is expected to
increase by 50-100%.
Modern medicine or Allopathy is western medicine as the
drugs used have been developed in the West. The West wants Ayurveda and
Homeopathy to finish in India.
Allowing practitioners of AYUSH systems of
medicine to practice modern medicine gives a wrong perception of their skills.
The message goes out that Ayush systems of medicine are not competent enough to
treat common illnesses, which is incorrect and I think, an insult to
practitioners of Ayush.
I am very well aware that both Ayurveda and Homeopathy
can handle most common ailments. For example, the use of Arnica for pain in
Homeopathy is well-accepted by many modern medicine doctors. Ayurveda
detoxification comprising of nasya (nasal wash), vamana (stomach wash), Virechasn
(small intestinal wash) and basti (large intestine wash) has also been very
well-accepted in modern medicine. Some Ayurvedic massages and maneuvers may be
better than physiotherapy.
I personally feel that promoting modern medicine for
Ayush doctors will only lead to disintegration of our ancient systems of
medicine. Their science will die out if not nurtured.
The government should instead work to revive Ayush
systems of medicine in the country before they completely vanish. Ayush should
be respected and they should excel in their pathy.
Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri Awardee
President Elect Confederation of
Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania
(CMAAO)
Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications
President Heart Care Foundation of
India
Past National President
IMA
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