Dr. Sanjay Nagral

Who Wins ? Ayurveda vs Modern Medicines 2020 | UPSC

Dr. Sanjay Nagral is a surgeon and writer from Mumbai

RESPONSE TO NOTIFICATION

• CENTRAL COUNCIL OF INDIAN MEDICINE(CCIM) —  It is a statutory body under the Indian Medicine Central Council Act which regulates –Ayurveda, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Unani Medicine.
• RECENT NOTIFICATION : Surgical procedures that can be performed by post-graduate Ayurvedic doctors in Shalya (surgery) has stirred up a hornet’s nest.

SOURCES : CONSULTANCY.IN

• STAUNCH REACTIONS : The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written a curious self-flagellating letter to the Prime Minister. Allopathic surgeon colleagues are outraged.

• NETIZENS RESPONSE : Some have portrayed doomsday scenarios, ‘where our children will be operated’ by half-baked ‘Ayurvedic doctors’ in the future.

AFTER 1947, WHAT THE STATE DID

• POST INDEPENDENCE : Indian state was faced with the difficult task of accommodating both the ascendant modern medicine brought in by the British and India’s traditional systems of medicine, notably Ayurveda.
• INTEGRATION OF SCIENCE : Modern Medicine was to take the best from all systems and integrate them into one cohesive science.

• PATRONS OF MODERN MEDICINES : The State choose to patronised and encouraged formal medical education in modern medicine as well as in other traditional systems.
• INTEGRATION DID HAPPEN : For a brief period there actually existed ‘integrated’ courses, wherein both Ayurveda and Modern medicine were taught to students.
• DILUTION OF SCIENCE : These withered away partly due to opposition from purists in Ayurveda who were outraged by the ‘dilution’ of their science.
• INITIAL COURSE TO DEGREE : Thus, the degree in Ayurvedic medicine became largely an Ayurveda course.

• SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST : They had to survive in the medical market, which by that time was the dominant form of health care in India.
• STEPPING DOWN THE LADDER : Most Ayurvedic graduates entered general practice.
• UNDER-SERVED AREAS : Several of them went on to work in rural and under-served areas. Some set up nursing homes.

• AVAILABILITY CRISIS : In health care, availability is often more important than quality, specialisation and such extravagant ideas.

HANDLING AN IDENTITY CRISIS

• THE IDENTITY CRISIS : As modern medicine made rapid strides, Ayurvedic graduates experienced an identity crisis.
• LOVE FOR THE TITLES : Many of them had joined the course not for the love of Ayurveda but to get a degree with the honorific ‘Dr.’

• NIGHT SHIFT DOCTORS : Thus, they became resident doctors, intensive care duty doctors and operation theatre assistant surgeons.
• SKILLED BUT DILIGENT : They picked up skills, were diligent and unlike their counterparts in MBBS, were not constantly distracted by thoughts of post graduation and entrance exams.

• AMBULANCE SERVICES : In Maharashtra, the ‘108’ emergency response ambulance service is manned by non-MBBS doctors.
• FRONTLINE HEALTH WORKERS : During COVID-19, a large number of the quarantine centres were manned by Ayurvedic doctors.
• LESS WAGES : Incidentally, they work for less pay which allows hospitals to control costs and even make profits.

SURGERY AND AYURVEDA

• DEVELOPMENT OF SURGERY : Now to the idea of Ayurvedic surgeons. In an effort to develop postgraduate programmes, Ayurveda medical colleges developed one in “Shalya’ or “surgery”.

• AYURVEDIC SURGERIES : A procedure called ‘Kshar Sutra’ used for anal fistula was described in Ayurveda texts and has been incorporated in modern medicine.
• SURGERY COST : Ayurvedic hospital in South Konkan who served the community for many years and at very low cost.
• COMPLEXITIES : General Surgery postgraduate degree holder on completion of his course is to perform 58 surgical procedures.

• MODERN SURGICAL PRACTICE  : A postgraduate to perform a removal of the gallbladder called independently unless they have assisted or been taken through at least 100 odd procedures.