Ayurveda PG Scholars Of Shalya and Shalakya Need To Be Trained In 58 Specific Surgical Procedures: Minister

Chennai, 11 Feb 2021:

The Union Ministry of Ayush (MoA) has clarified that the ayurveda post graduate scholars of Shalya (general surgery) and Shalakya (ENT and Dental) need to be practically trained in 58 specific surgical procedures in order to enable them to independently perform the surgical activities related to general surgery, ENT and dental through a bridge course.

Mostly the training course will be done in NABH accreted hospitals attached to teaching institutions. The training is carried out as per provisions of the Indian Medicine Central Council (post graduate ayurveda education) Amendment Regulations 2020.

This was clarified in Parliament last week by the minister of state for Ayush (additional charge), Kiren Rijiju, in answer to a question put by one member of the house.

The minister said the regulations outline practical training in surgeries for post graduate students and it will be imparted through a bridge course. But the PG students of Shalya and Shalakya will not be allowed to take up any other type of surgery, he confirmed.

Answering to another query whether such surgical procedures adequately ensure the health, safety and post-surgical care of the patients concerned, the minister said the PG scholars of Shalya and Shalakya will become well-trained in performing such surgeries. He said the infrastructure required for the same is very well regulated by the CCIM and by the state acts where ever applicable. For this purpose, the council encourages for NABH accreditation of the hospitals attached to teaching institutions.

To a question whether such procedures are identical in any form to those practiced in allopathic medicines, the minister of state said the use of all modern terminology is to facilitate effective communication and correspondence not just among physicians but among the different stake-holders. In the instant notification, modern terms are adopted as per requirement to ensure that the same is understood widely in the medical profession, in the stake-holding disciplines like the medico-legal, health, IT etc, as well as by the public. Hence the use of modern terminology was required by maintaining the authenticity of Indian systems of medicine.

Meanwhile associations of modern medical professionals including National Medicos Organization (NMO) and Indian Dental Association (IDA) started a relay hunger strike from February 1 in 50 places across the country in protest against the central government notification authorizing Ayurveda PGs to perform a variety of surgical procedures. Pharmabiz