New MBBS Curriculum Calls for Holistic Medicine, Doctors Cry Mixopathy
New Delhi: Doctors are upset with the inclusion of alternate health systems i.e. AYUSH in India and history of Medicine in the foundation course of the new MBBS curriculum, which has recently been released by the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC).
They have alleged that by including the Indian System of Medicine in the MBBS course, NMC, in reality, has opened the doors for Mixopathy, and by the year 2030, India will only have Hybrid doctors.
"In its recently published curriculum for MBBS, AYUSH has got an official foothold. NMC coupled with provisions in New Education Policy will spell doomsday for modern medicine. By 2030 India will only have HYBRID drs !! This is going to adversely affect not only the medical students but also the healthcare delivery system," opined Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, Health Activist and Past president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). He also mentioned that the doctors will protest in all possible forms.
NMC recently released the new CBME curriculum for the MBBS course after the publication of the Graduate Medical Education Regulations 2023 in the official Gazette on June 02, 2023.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that by issuing a circular in this regard on June 12, 2023, the Director of the UGMEB, Shambhu Sharan Kumar informed, "All previously issued Notifications/circulars/clarifications shall now be void and superseded by these new guidelines."
These new guidelines including the new CBME curriculum for the MBBS students "shall be applicable to all the admission made in MBBS course in a medical college in the academic year 2023-24."
Also Read: New Curriculum for MBBS notified by NMC
Among several issues related to the 4.5 years of MBBS course, the new CBME curriculum also includes details about the phase-wise training and time distribution for professional development. It also includes training period and time distribution, the distribution of 4.5 years period, phase-wise distribution of teaching hours.
Further, it has also discussed the new teaching/learning elements including the foundation course, early clinical exposure, electives, Professional Development including Attitude, Ethics and Communication Module (AETCOM), Learner-doctor method of clinical training (Clinical Clerkship), Assessment etc.
While specifying the objectives of the foundation course of the MBBS curriculum, NMC UG Board mentioned how the learners will be oriented to different aspects. These objectives also include the orientation of the learners in the "Alternate health systems i.e. AYUSH in India and history of Medicine."
Apart from this, the list of electives mentioned in the new MBBS Curriculum also includes the "Indian System of Medicine." In fact, listing down the objectives of the Indian Graduate Medical Training Programme, NMC UG board mentioned that at the end of undergraduate program, the Indian Medical Graduate should be able to "Achieve competence in practice of holistic medicine, encompassing promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative aspects of common diseases."
While NMC wants the MBBS graduates to be competent in holistic medicine, doctors have alleged it to be mixopathy. Referring to the issue of inclusion of AYUSH courses in MBBS Curriculum, Health Activist and past president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Dr. Ravi Wankhedkar termed it to be "end of pure modern medicine."
Speaking to Medical Dialogues in this regard, Dr. Wankhedkar said, "There is now a fashion and a habit to blatantly, blindly ape whatever is in practice in the Western world or in China. This model of Mixopathy is basically based on China, where they tried for ten years to integrate modern medicine and Chinese traditional medicine. They found out that it is a failed experiment and now they have again separated it."
Clarifying that the doctors are not opposing traditional system of medicine, he added, "Let them flourish, let them do their research, let the choice be of the patient. By mixing systems of medicine, it will be jack of all and master of none."
Dr. Wakhedkar also explained in detail how the basic principles for these different systems of medicine are completely different and he also explained that the concept of holistic medicine is altogether different as various doctors in various systems of medicine come together and treat a patient. He also questioned, "Basically the basic principles of management are different. How can you integrate such contradictory principles?"
Another issue that he pointed out is the acceptance of Indian Medical Graduates internationally. Referring to this, he mentioned, "Such Mixopathy will never be accepted in anywhere in the World. Now they have introduced in the foundation course and in the electives- they are actually testing waters. This is a typical style. Once they feel that there will not be much opposition, they will integrate it wholly. Such Hybrid doctors will not be accepted anywhere in the world. This is going to kill the traditional Indian System of Medicine. It will also kill the modern system of medicine and we will be hanging in somewhere in between."
When asked about his view regarding the plans of integrating AYUSH with MBBS, the National President of IMA, Dr. Sharad Kr. Agarwal told Medical Dialogues, "The Government should maintain the purity of pathy. They should not encroach anybody's pathy. Let the Ayurvedic people produce their specialists and allopaths produce their specialists. Holistic approach is after they have produced the specialists. They can be under one roof and offer the citizens what they want. But mixing at the undergraduate level is making of quacks. Nobody will be expert of any pathy and ultimately, the poor people of this country will suffer. We are extremely against crosspathy."
Also Read: Holistic Medicine or Mixopathy: Delhi High Court to decide
Last year, the Union Union Health Ministry wrote to NMC and referred to the fact that Section 50(1) of the NMC Act, 2019 stipulates that there shall be a joint sitting of the Commission, the Central Council of Homoeopathy and the Central Council of Indian Medicine at least once a year to enhance the interface between Homoeopathy, Indian System of Medicine and modern systems of medicine.
At that time, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had also requested NMC to convene a Joint sitting under the Section 50(1) to discuss the feasibility of integrating the Indian System of Medicine and the modern system of Medicine.
Following this, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) had been filed in Delhi HC seeking direction to the Centre to adopt the Indian Holistic Integrated Medicinal Approach rather than Colonial Segregated way of Allopathy, Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy in order to secure the right to health.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the plea sought direction to implement a Holistic Integrated Common Syllabus and Common Curriculum of Allopathy, Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy for all medical colleges in order to secure the right to health.
The petitioner, Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, practicing lawyer and BJP leader submitted that in spite of huge investment, the current health care system of India is not able to meet its standards and benefit the Indian population to fight against acute and chronic diseases.
The petitioner further submitted that the suggested holistic integrated medicinal approach will favor the financially deprived section of the Indian population as this approach will be pocket friendly with high reach and will be able to cover such a huge dense population of the country thus making the medical education available for one and all and to support evidence-based medicine, not any particular pathy. It will also help them to build a sense of responsibility to serve their society which cannot be possible in the case of modern medicine, he had added.
The matter has been listed for further hearing at the Delhi High Court on July 25, 2023.
Meanwhile, commenting on the inclusion of AYUSH courses in the new MBBS curriculum, Dr. Karan Juneja, National Standing Committee member of IMA JDN told Medical Dialogues, "This is nothing but Mixopathy, which is being projected as preaching of holistic medicine. This will be an unnecessary burden for the students as well. Instead of focusing on advancement, the medical education system is moving backwards."
