New Delhi : The Supreme Court called for a response of the Union government and the Central Council of Indian Medicine on a PIL filed by Mumbai based Association of (allopathic) Medical Consultants. The PIL challenges legislations permitting practitioner of ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, sidda and homeopathy (AYUSH) to prescribe modern allopathic medicines and conducting surgeries, alleging that it would encourage quackery to endanger lives of public.
The petition challenges and has asked the apex court to quash Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) regulation, National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020 and the National Commission for Homoeopathy Act, 2020, which seek to obliterate the age-old difference and distinctions between the Allopathy system of medicine on one hand and AYUSH & homeopathy system of medicine on the other. The petition further states that the practitioners of Ayush will be able to use prefixes and suffixes such as “Dr.” and “Surgeon”, which will create confusion in public’s mind in general and especially in rural areas, says the petition.
This petition has been filed at a time when central government is planning to roll out a ‘One Nation, One Health System’ policy. This move, to be fully in place by 2030, seeks to integrate modern and traditional systems of medicine. Recently, the Madras High Court upheld a government regulation which says that qualified ayurveda, siddha, unani (AYUSH) and homeopathic doctors can practice allopathy, if they are well trained in the western medical system, though not exclusively.