Haryana plans to include ayurveda in MBBS course: Anil Vij
“To promote traditional Indian medicines, we will incorporate a year of ayurveda in five-year MBBS curriculum and if required, we are ready to fight for it,” said Haryana health minister Anil Vij during the state-level programme of 75 lakh ‘Surya Namaskar Campaign’ in Ambala Cantonment on Friday.
The Haryana government is planning to include a year of mandatory ayurveda studies for students pursuing the five-year MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) course, state’s health minister Anil Vij said on Friday, prompting concern among experts.
“To promote traditional Indian medicines, we will incorporate a year of ayurveda in five-year MBBS curriculum and if required, we are ready to fight for it,” said the health minister during the state-level programme of 75 lakh ‘Surya Namaskar Campaign’ in Ambala Cantonment on Friday.
“I have constituted teams to formulate and prepare the course programme for teaching ayurveda in the MBBS course,” the BJP leader said.
The curriculum of MBBS studies primarily hinges on the conventional or modern western medicine also known as allopathy whereas ayurveda is natural system of medicine which originated in India.
The state government’s move to integrate the ayurveda system of medicine with the modern western medicine by incorporating it in the MBBS curriculum has the potential to spark a controversy.
Haryana has 13 medical colleges of which six are run by the state government and one is a government-aided institution. The number of MBBS seats are more than 1,700 and will increase when every district gets a medical college.
Dr Rajesh Kataria, officiating president of Indian Medical Association (IMA), Haryana, said the move will ultimately harm the health system in the state and if implemented, the mixture of ayurveda and conventional medicine will disrupt the medical education.
“We can’t deny the contribution of ayurveda or other alternative medicines. But a combined course will create confusion for the students. If this is implemented, we are going to call our executive meeting to discuss further course of action,” said Dr Kataria.
Vij said the ultimate aim of medical science should be to provide relief and cure to the patient. “Thus, both ayurveda and allopathy should be integrated and used when required. The government intends to promote traditional medicines and add them to the daily lives of the people,” he said.
Vij also announced that the state government employees will now start getting medical reimbursement for ayurvedic medicines and treatment.
The minister said that AYUSH University in Kurukshetra has been set up to promote the treatment done by alternative medicine. The AYUSH stream includes ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha, and homoeopathy systems of healthcare and treatment. He said that during the last cabinet meeting, a decision of giving separate status to the AYUSH department was taken. This would make department hold its own identity. To promote yoga, a Yoga Commission has been formed by the state government. The government has taken a pledge to set up yogashalas in 6,500 villages of the state. Meanwhile, 1,000 yogashalas have been built and the construction of the rest is underway.
He said that National Institute of Ayurveda is also being set up in Panchkula at a cost of about ₹270 crore. It will be completed by December. A 250-bedded hospital will also be built on the campus. This institute will nurture around 500 budding doctors. He said that Unani College has been set up in Nuh, Homeopathic College in Ambala Cantt and Naturopathy Hospital is being built in Devar Khana.
He said that the state has about 569 AYUSH health wellness centres, 4 Ayurvedic hospitals, 6 AYUSH primary health hospitals, 19 Unani hospitals, 26 homeopathic, 21 AYUSH wings and every district hospital in Haryana has a separate AYUSH wing. The Minister said that use of ayurvedic medicines should be increased on the pattern of allopathic to provide alternative treatment to the patient. He also said that the way a doctor diagnoses a patient before prescribing allopathic medicine, a similar scientific diagnosis should also be performed before prescribing ayurvedic medicines as well.