On one hand you can see Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare at Safdar Jang Hospital in Delhi, inaugurating the department of integrative medicine, parallelly standing with Union Minister of AYUSH Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, and on the other allopathy doctors protesting against a government notification authorising post-graduate practitioners in some streams of Ayurveda to be trained to perform surgeries.
What is the Matter?
The Reacrion
Expectedly, this notification received sharp reactions from allopathic doctors. Indian Medical Association (IMA) called for strikes, which caught momentum in different states. While IMA called this “khichdification” of medical education, allopathic fraternity is coining a new word – “mixopathy” for this integrative practice. In 2021, then union AYUSH minister Shripad Naik said to allopathic fraternity that term mixopathy is not a valid term. He further explained that it is not a competition as both the medical practices would complement each other and Indian system of medicine can support the practice of allopathy. Supreme court has also sought the response on the plea by IMA against CCIM’s order. Notices have been issued to the Ministry of AYUSH, CCIM, and National Medical Commission to get their replies on the petition.
Is Mixopathy good or bad?
Mixopathy in exact terms is obviously not good. But, if a patient is evaluated both ways, by modern clinical methods as well as through traditional food, life style and medical knowledge, a holistic and integrative health advice can be given as long as everything remains evidence based.
Can Ayurvedic Doctor be a Surgeon?
A person becomes an Ayurvedic doctor by pursuing Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS). She can perform traditional Ayurvedic surgeries. Post gradation (MS) is also an option if he / she wants specialisation. But modern complex surgeries are not in their domain. Above mentioned notification is allowing Ayurvedic post graduates in surgery to perform some of these procedures.
What Government is Doing?
It is to note that current government of India is trying to give integrative medicine a thrust. Following points show the efforts and commitment of the government.
- In August 2022, NITI Aayog’s Health and Family Welfare Division, has set up a committee on formulation of “Integrative Health Policy”.
- Integrative Medicine Departments have been established in top hospitals in New Delhi. Safdar Jung Hospital has already been started such facility. AIIMS is in the way to do so.
- Ministry of AYUSH has selected six specialities to integrate with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) across India.
- ICMR and Ministry of Ayush have signed an MoA, under which ICMR will lead capacity building for Ayurvedic researchers. It will be done through basic training, granting access to instrumentations, and developing joint databases.
Intention of Government of India seems good, but in our view, al the stakeholders must be involved, scope of every therapy system must be defined, and everything should be evidence based
What is Integrative Medicine?
Integrative medicine combines the most well-researched conventional medicine with the most well-researched, evidence-based complementary therapies to achieve the appropriate care for each person (myoclinic.org).
Apart of conventional medicine, here exist alternative traditions groped under the term “Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).” In USA and Europe, CAM is quite popular.
CAM not only includes medicinal formulations prepared through plant parts, mineral salts, and animal parts, but also some relaxation techniques and physical procedures. As these therapies are gathering irrefutable evidences and their safety researches are going on, their relevance is being felt by all. When proven methods of CAM are combined with modern conventional medicine, it is called – Integrative Medicine.
Throughout the world, herbalism and folk medicines exist in varied forms. Tribes know, which locally growing plant relieves which ailment. Ayurveda and Unani therapy systems have many medicines that work on seemingly pathophysiologically non-related diseases. It shows that those herbs are working on some common targets that has not yet been researched.
In this backdrop, the word “alternative” is being dropped, and new term “Complementary and Integrative Medicine” (CIM) is being used.