GUWAHATI, Dec 6 - The Assam State Branch of the Indian Medical Association has extended their support to a protest on December 8 and a nationwide strike on December 11 against the Union government�s decision to allow post-graduate practitioners in some specific streams of Ayurveda to be trained to perform general surgeries.
The IMA has called upon doctors to withdraw non-essential and non-COVID services from 6 am to 6 pm on December 11.
State President of IMA Assam State Branch, Dr Satyajit Borah said that public demonstrations will be held on December 8 seeking that the government revoke its order.
�Emergency services including casualty, emergency surgeries, in-patient services including ICUs etc., will function on December 11,� Borah added.
He further said a recent circular of Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCM) paving the way for allowing Ayurvedic post-graduate doctors to practice various surgeries which are otherwise carried out by well-trained surgeons under the modern medical system has terrified all conscious people concerned about public health.
�IMA has demanded immediate withdrawal of the notification of the amendment regulations of Postgraduate Ayurveda Education in which the Post Graduate course namely �MS Shalya Tantra� the words (General Surgery) have been incorporated and they are allowed to get trained and independently practice a long list of surgical procedures. The competency of such surgical skills squarely falls under the ambit, authority and jurisdiction of modern medicine having been prescribed by the then Medical Council of India as the competency ascribable to the postgraduate course,� the Assam State Branch stated in a press statement.
