In a move aimed to meet the shortage of doctors across the country, the Government has allowed the Postgraduate (PG) students of Ayurveda to perform a range of general surgery, including orthopedic, ophthalmology, ENT and dental.
The Centre has issued a gazette notification in this regard allowing Ayurvedic PG passouts to receive formal training for such procedures. The training modules for surgical procedures will be added to the curriculum of Ayurvedic studies.
The amendments in the Indian Medicine Central Council Regulations, 2016 has been carried out to introduce formal training in these procedures as part of the curriculum for postgraduate students of shalya (general surgery) and shalakya tantra (diseases of ear, nose, throat, ENT, eye, head, oro-dentistry) specialisations.
Union Ayush Secretary Rajesh Kotechea explained the Ministry has specified the procedures that an Ayurveda doctor can conduct while handling a patient.
The gazette notification issued on November 19 stated that during the period of study, the PG scholar of Shalya and Shalakya shall be practically trained to acquaint with as well as independently performing specified activities so that after completion of his/her PG degree, he/she is able to perform the procedures independently.
As per the legislation, Ayurveda practitioners can legally perform common procedures such as skin grafting, cataract surgery, and root canal treatment.
As per the amendments, the complete list of procedures that will be taught in MS (Ayurved) Shyalya tantra will include perianal abscess, breast abscess, axillary abscess, cellulitis, all types of skin grafting, ear lobe repair, excision of the simple cyst and benign tumours (lipoma, fibroma, schwannoma, etc) of non-vital organs, excision/amputation of gangrene.
They will also be allowed to take up traumatic wound management all types of suturing, haemostatic ligatures, ligation and repair of tendon and muscles, removal of metallic and non-metallic foreign bodies from non-vital organs among many other areas.
Under MS (Ayurved) Shalakya Tantra, the Ayurveda doctor can practice in medical areas pertaining to diseases of eyelids such as Glaucoma and trained to carry out various surgery, including cataract surgery.
The practitioners will also be eligible to conduct local Anesthesia in the eye, and varied surgeries related to nose, ear, and dental-related medical issues.
