Growing Demand for Ayurveda after MBBS in Maharashtra

Mumbai: Leaving the Dental courses behind, the demand for Ayurveda courses are growing every single day to such an extent that it has become the second preference after MBBS for the students aspiring to pursue medicine in Maharashtra.

The growth is so rapid that in the last four years, the seats in AYUSH courses have gone up by around 30%, revealed the admission data. Not only AYUSH, but the demand is increasing for the Homeopathy (BHMS) courses as well. where the vacancies have dropped from 844 to 60 in the academic years 2019-2020, adds TOI.

While on the one hand this growth is a result of the major boost given to the traditional medicines by the Central Government, on the other, patients are getting drawn towards  Ayurvedic medicine because of its alleged minimal side effects.

When back in 2018-2019, there were around 4,300 AYUSH seats in Maharashtra, the number has increased up to 5,600 in 2021-2022. Referring to this, Medical education counsellor Muzaffar Khan has opined that contrary to past when people used to prefer dental courses after MBBS, these days they are preferring BAMS.

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Speaking about this changing preferences, Govind Khati, director, Directorate of AYUSH, Maharashtra told the Times of India, "Opportunities have increased as students can practice Ayurveda and at the same time they have knowledge of modern medicine too. These students also get clinical exposure right from their second year. AYUSH doctors were also in the forefront during the Covid-19 pandemic. They are employed in rural health centres, where there is a shortage."

"People are also getting drawn towards Ayurveda as they have realised that there are minimal side effects and there are many lifestyle diseases which do not have a cure in modern medicine," Govind Khati, who is also the dean of R A Podar Ayurveda Medical College further added. He also pointed out that students are also pursuing PG courses in Ayurveda.

While commenting on the matter, Dr. pravin Shingare, the former director of DMER opined that these days parents are willing to pay more for securing admission in the management seats in private Ayurveda colleges.