AMAI welcomes NCISM circular against calling AYUSH doctors quacks
Thiruvananthapuram: The Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI) has welcomed a circular issued by the National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine (NCISM), which clarifies that qualified and registered practitioners of the Indian Systems of Medicine are legally recognised medical practitioners and that referring to them as"quacks" or "fake doctors" is unlawful.
In a statement, the AMAI State Committee said the circular is a strong warning to vested interests attempting to discredit doctors practising Indian systems of medicine, including those holding recognised qualifications such as Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS), who are duly registered with the statutory medical council and authorised to practise under the law, reports UNI.
The association said the NCISM order effectively counters what it described as a systematic campaign to malign Ayurveda through social media and other platforms. It alleged that such campaigns were being carried out at the behest of certain corporate business interests, organisations and individuals seeking to undermine the credibility of the traditional system of medicine.
Describing the directive as a significant development, the association said it sends a clear message to those allegedly trying to eliminate Indian systems of medicine, including Ayurveda, through misinformation and false propaganda aimed at misleading the public.
The association said doctors practising under the legal recognition provided by the Indian Medicine Central Council (IMCC) Act, 1970, and the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) Act, 2020, cannot be publicly defamed or labelled as "quacks." Such actions, it said, amount to a violation of the constitutional and legal rights of qualified medical practitioners.
AMAI urged the concerned authorities to initiate strict legal action against individuals and organisations allegedly engaged in defamatory campaigns against recognised practitioners of Indian systems of medicine.
It also vowed to oppose, through legal and democratic means, any attempts to tarnish the image, credibility and growth of Ayurveda.
The statement was issued by AMAI State President Dr. K.S. Vishnu Namboothiri and General Secretary Dr. P.K. Haridas.
