Amid Opposition from Allopathy doctors, MBBS-BAMS Integrated Course Gets Support from Ayurveda Practitioners

Kozhikode: Amid the opposition of the MBBS-BAMS integrated course from modern medicine doctors, the Ayurvedic practitioners have welcomed the proposal.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the plans of launching India's first integrated MBBS and BAMS course at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, sparked outrage among doctors nationwide.

Earlier, calling the Union Government's plans of mixing different systems of medicine (Ayurveda and Modern Medicine) as "unscientific" and "unfortunate", the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had demanded that the Government withdraw the "regressive proposal" in the interest of public health. Members of FAIMA Doctors Association, United Doctors Front, IMA Junior Doctors' Network, and Telangana Junior Doctors Association had also opposed the move.

However, welcoming the decision, the President and General Secretary of the Ayurvedic Medicine Manufacturers Organisation of India (AMMOI), P. Ramkumar and D. Ramanathan, respectively, said that the World Health Organisation had been taking steps to integrate traditional medicine systems under the traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine initiative.

Also Read: Breaking: JIPMER to launch India's first integrated MBBS-BAMS course

As per the latest media report by The Hindu, the members of AMMOI pointed out how studies proved that combining the advantages of various branches of medicine was beneficial. According to them, the co-location scheme of the Union Government providing Ayush treatment along with modern medicine treatment at primary health centres, community health centres, and district hospitals and the integrative medicine departments launched at Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College-Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College Hospital, New Delhi, were meant to take forward this idea. 

To highlight how people preferred traditional systems of medicine, they also highlighted the rising demand for Ashwagandha, an Indian herb, in the global market.

Meanwhile, expressing their opinion on the proposal of integrating MBBS with BAMS, the teachers in government medical colleges in Kerala said on Monday that they were clueless about how the proposal would shape up. They argued that, other than media reports, none had any idea about the syllabus to be followed. Earlier, IMA had said that the mixing of medicine systems had failed in China, which also "resulted in decimation of their traditional medicine".

However, the AMMOI president and General Secretary claimed that those who learn modern medicine would not be able to complete their studies without studying about Sushruta, who is considered the father of surgery.

Referring to studies, they said that more than 25% of drugs manufactured in any branch of medicine are derived from plants. They also argued that launching an MBBS-BAMS integrated course at JIPMER would help modern medicine practitioners understand the possibilities of Ayurveda, and also help dismiss certain social media campaigns against the perceived side effects of Ayurvedic drugs. According to them, integrative medicine would also help reduce the dependence on drugs by 50% and help people lead a healthy life.

Also Read: Ayurveda-Allopathy Fusion Faces Backlash, Doctors urge Govt to reconsider JIPMER plan