Haryana to include Ayurveda Subjects in MBBS Curriculum

Chandigarh: Introducing changes in the MBBS curriculum, the Haryana Government has proposed including Ayuevedic courses in the five-year MBBS programme.

The Health and AYUSH Minister of Haryana, Anil Vij informed this on Friday. As per the plans of the Government, the five-year MBBS programme will include four years of medical education in allopathy and one year for Ayurveda. 

Already the Minister has set up teams for formulating the course programme for teaching Ayurveda under the MBBS curriculum, adds Indian Express.

Similar kind of recommendations were made in case of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) as well. Medical Dialogues had last year reported that the Standing Academic Committee (SAC) of the Institute had suggested for the inclusion of yoga science, ayurvedic science and traditional medicine in the MBBS curriculum.

Also Read:PGI Chandigarh will include Yoga, Ayurveda and Traditional Medicine in its upcoming MBBS Curriculum

Similarly, Health Health Minister Anil Vij has recently announced in Ambala that the Government has proposed including Ayurveda subjects in the MBBS course in the State, adds PTI.

Indian Express adds that already the Minister has constituted teams for the purpose of formulating the course programme for teaching Ayurveda under the MBBS curriculum.

However, the announcement made by the Health Minister has witnessed criticism by medical experts who have doubted the possibility of implementing such a plan for including Ayurveda courses in the MBBS curriculum.

Speaking about this, a former officer from the erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI), told The Print, “It is not possible because the curriculum for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in India is governed by the National Medical Commission (NMC). No state can make changes in curriculum by introducing the study of ayurveda for one year.”

While commenting on the matter, a senior medical professional and also a member of the Indian Medical Association Haryana added, “Out of approximately 90,000 medical graduates produced in our country, nearly 8,000 to 12,000 appear for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) to pursue postgraduate studies in the US, and in some cases even settle in that country. Nearly 4,000 students clear this test every year. But if our MBBS students study allopathy for four years and ayurveda for the fifth, it’s unlikely that the US will allow medical graduates from Haryana to appear in the USMLE.”

Clarifying that no one was against the promotion of Ayurveda, which has been a part of Indian Medical System for ages, he opined that the best way to promote it was by sanctioning funds for research in that system rather than forcing the students of allopathic system to study those subjects.

“I don’t think the NMC will allow this to happen, because throughout the five years of their programme, MBBS students have a lot of courses to study. It is not possible to spare one complete year for the study of ayurveda,” he added.

However, the Director of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Rohtak, Dr Shamsher Singh Lohchab opined that if the National Medical Commission (NMC) provided its approval, the Ayurveda courses could be included in the MBBS curriculum.

When asked about its possible impact in the prospects of students who want to pursue PG medical courses abroad, he added that the NMC being the apex regulatory body of medical education, any degree recognised by NMC would be valid for studies, subject to clearing the examinations prescribed by the countries abroad.

“The curriculum for the MBBS course must contain all that is prescribed by the NMC. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t include any course over and above the minimum requirements of the NMC,” he added.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Vij has defended his decision on Saturday and further opined that there should be an integration of all the systems of medicine.

Also Read: Govt employees to now get reimbursement for ayurvedic treatment: Haryana Health Minister