A Clear Reading of Ayurveda Surgery Move

Context: India needs its Ayurveda graduates, including surgeons, to improve the common man’s access to decent health care.

Significance of Ayurvedic Sector:

• Not a Pseudoscience: There have been many scientific and historical literature which authenticate the creditability of Ayurvedic medicine and surgery.
  • For E.g. the Sushruta Samhita consists of procedures such as rhinoplasty where the nose is reconstructed with tissue from the cheek.
  • A procedure called ‘Kshar Sutra’ used for anal fistula was described in Ayurveda texts and has been incorporated in modern medicine.
  • Removal of the gallbladder called cholecystectomy has been listed as “PittashmariNirharanchhedan” in the early texts.
• Promotion by the government: The Central Council of Indian Medicine has identified surgical procedures that can be performed by post­graduate Ayurvedic doctors in Shalya (surgery).
• Ensures availability of health services in under-served areas:
  • In rural Maharashtra, several nursing homes are run by integrated graduates.
  • In Maharashtra, the ‘108’ ambulance service is manned by non­MBBS doctors.
  • In Ayurvedic hospitals in Konkan, there is hardly any patient who went for surgery without the consultation of Ayurvedic doctors. – saving out of pocket expenditure!

Issues with Ayurvedic Sector:

• Difficulty in integration with modern medicine: While for a brief period after the independence, there were integrated courses, but these withered away due to opposition by purists of Ayurveda.
• Identity crisis: Most ayurvedic graduates entered general practice, remained resident doctors intensive care duty doctors and operation theatre assistant surgeons.
  • Many of them had joined the course not for the love of Ayurveda but to get a degree with the honorific ‘Dr.’ which gave then upward mobility and social status.
• Opposition from the Medical science: Allopathic doctors are opposed to the recent government actions of allowing medical courses of surgery under Ayurveda.
  • Some of the procedures in the list are rather complicated: For e.g. removing the gallbladder is itself a tedious task for a post-graduate, leave alone the Ayurvedic professional.
• Low wages: Ayurvedic medical professionals work for less pay which allows hospitals to control costs and even make profits.

Way Forward: Creatively and properly trained Ayurveda graduates, including surgeons, can play important roles in India’s health-care system.

• Ensure the right training, pay and identity: for Ayurvedic surgeons to strengthen on-site or ambulance care of trauma victims.
• Utilise workforce of non-MBBS doctors: to improve access to decent health care.