Haryana plans to include Ayurveda in MBBS course

The state, according to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, has 13 medical colleges of which six are run by the Haryana government.

The Haryana government is planning to include a year of mandatory ayurveda studies for students pursuing the MBBS course for medical education, state’s health minister Anil Vij said on Friday, prompting concern among experts.

Anil Vij said that the ultimate aim of medical science should be to provide relief and cure to the patient, therefore, ayurveda and allopathy should be integrated and both can be used, when required. (Agencies)

The state, according to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, has 13 medical colleges of which six are run by the Haryana government.

“To promote the 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,” he said.

“I have constituted teams to formulate and prepare the course programme for teaching ayurveda in MBBS,” the veteran BJP leader said during an address at a yoga event.

Vij was addressing a gathering for the 7.5 million Surya Namaskar Campaign for which over 11,000 yoga participants performed asanas together at War Heroes Memorial Stadium in Ambala Cantonment.

According to the plan, students will be taught regular medicine for four years and the fifth will be set aside for ayurveda.

Vij said that the ultimate aim of medical science should be to provide relief and cure to the patient, therefore, ayurveda and allopathy should be integrated and both can be used, when required.

He added said that the government intends to promote traditional medicines and add them to the daily life of the people.

While speaking on the benefits of ayurveda, he said most households have family remedies passed down generations to tackle every disease or infection. “If you can get rid of an upset stomach by having baking soda, then why get an injection?” he remarked.

Dr Rajesh Kataria, the officiating president of Indian Medical Association, said such a move will ultimately harm the health care system in the state and if implemented, the “mixotaphy” will disturb education.

“We can’t deny the contribution of ayurveda or other alternative medicine, but the combined course will create confusion for the students. If this is implemented, we will call our executive meeting to discuss our further course of action,” Dr Kataria told the HT.

Vij said that if anybody has a problem with ayurveda, they should read “ayurvedic formulas in our ancient books and get them tested in their scientific laboratories”.