MP Medical Council opposes appointment of ISM practitioners to health posts

Bhopal: Sparking the age old debate of whether practitioners of Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) can prescribe allopathic medicines, the Madhya Pradesh Medical Council has opposed the move of the state government to employ ISM practitioners in the health department.

Desperate to fill up the vacant health posts in rural areas of the state, the health department is reported  to have employed  some 724 ISM practitioners (700 Ayurveda and 24 Unani ) under its new policy as medical officers to prescribe allopathic medications. The move however, has not gone well with the apex body for allopathic practitioners in the state, which has questioned the validity of the appointments.

The Madhya Pradesh Medical Council (MPMC) has moreover, raised questions over the credibility of these doctors prescribing allopathic medicines to the patients. The state council has clearly stated that practitioners of the Indian system of medicine, under which the ayurvedic and unani doctors come, are not approved or registered by the MCI.

"We have not registered the doctors and hence they cannot prescribe allopathic medication. A change in law is needed, but there is no state government notification for the same as of now," an MPMC official told the TOI.

As a part of their preparation for the appointments at rural health posts, it is reported that these practitioners will first undertake a three month long training, which will include modules like prescription of antibiotics, procedures of modern medicine and treatment including delivery. On completion of the training, these doctors will then be employed to rural areas.