Madhya Pradesh: Ayurveda and Unani Doctors Allowed to Practice Modern Medicine

Ayurveda and Unani doctors in Madhya Pradesh will now be allowed to practice modern medicine, as the state government has passed two bills enabling these practitioners to prescribe allopathy medicines.

Two bills were passed in the state Vidhan Sabha, namely:

• Madhya Pradesh Ayurvigyan Parishad (Sanshodhan) Vidhayak 2016
• MP Ayurvedic, Unani Tatha Prakritik Chikitsa Vyavsai (Sanshodhan) Vidhayak 2016

The bills were passed amidst opposition from other parties.

Health Minister Rustam Singh presented a bill in Vidhan Sabha on Friday to allow the appointment of Ayurvedic and Unani practitioners in government allopathic hospitals/PHCs. The bill also called for mandatory training of three months before posting them in primary health centres. The minister clarified that they will be authorised to prescribe only 72 types of medicine.

Not favoring the move, Bala Bachchan, acting leader of the opposition, said, "Now the effect of Vyapam scam is clear. More than 1000 doctors have been denied their degrees after the scam. The MBBS takes more than 5 years to complete, here you will train them in 3 months only."

Ramniwas Rawat, Congress party member, said, "This is highly objectionable. This government is playing with the health of the people. The government has not even taken the permission of the Medical Council of India (MCI)."

It was also demanded that the government should take permission from the MCI before presenting the bill.

However, TOI reports that Health Minister Rustam Singh assured the house stating that, "The Ayurveda and Unani doctors will be allowed to practice on 72 medicines. This is a temporary arrangement and as soon as doctors are available this would be withdrawn."

The move, the minister justified, was necessary on account of meeting the acute shortage of medical practitioners in the state.

With the aim of correcting the doctors' shortage in the country, Congress MLA Shankarlal Tiwari demanded that BDS degree holders should also be given a similar exemption.