Coronavirus in Gujarat: BAMS practitioners prescribing allopathy medicines will face no action, says AMC

Mirror reports about the decision of the AMC which has now assured that it will not issue any further notices to the BAMS doctors and those who have been served the same, won't face any action by the government.

Apparently, amidst the ongoing CoronaVirus (COVID 19) outbreak; the state had initiated a drive to punish those who are found prescribing allopathic medicines illegally. During the exercise, notices were issued to many including Ayurveda practitioners which is evidently a violation of the Gujarat Medical Practitioners Act 1963.

Aggrieved by the action, the Gujarat Ayurveda Board submitted a memorandum to Mayor Bijal Patel and Standing Committee Chairman Amul Bhatt objecting to the notices citing that the section 30 of Gujarat Medical practitioners Act 1963 allows qualified Ayurveda practitioners to prescribe allopathic medicines. The Ayurveda doctors have also filed a petition with the court in this regard.

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Speaking to the Mirror, Gujarat Ayurveda Board's General Secretary Amit Nayak stated, "As per the Act, we can practise allopathy. In addition, we had filed a petition in HC which is pending. AMC health department issued notices to BAMS doctors, which is not right."

Noting their submission, the authorities held that the serving notices to the BAMS doctors was an erroneous act. "The Mayor and the Chairman have accepted that it was an error and have assured us that notices will not be served to BAMS doctors practicing allopathy,the Secretary added.

However, the notices issued to BHMS practitioners will not be withdrawn as according to the Act, homeopathic doctors cannot prescribe modern system medicines.

Amul Bhatt said, "BAMS association members had come to meet us. As per rules, BAMS doctors can practice allopathy, but BHMS (homeopathic) practitioners cannot. However, our health department issued notices to both. We have directed them not to issue notices to the BAMS practitioners."

Ayurveda doctors practicing in the state who are registered with the Gujarat Medical Council (GMC) can practice allopathy, those who are not, face punishment.

In 2018, bringing a major interim relief to practitioners of Integrated Systems of Medicine (ISM), who indulge in the practice of modern system of medicine and then face legal action including arrest warrants for violations of law, the Supreme court had held that no coercive action shall be taken against such practitioners no coercive action shall be taken against persons.

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