A nine-month bridge course in allopathy for practitioners of Indian systems of medicine may be in the offing.
The Union government has called a meeting of the Central Council of Indian Medicine to decide on the latter’s recommendation for launching such a course. This course is proposed for practitioners who will be working in rural health centres and national health programme, said President of Central Council of Indian Medicine Vanitha Murali Kumar.
Taking to The Hindu on the sidelines of a State-level Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddi and Homeopathy doctors conclave, Dr. Kumar said the Centre was keen on using Indian systems of medicine practitioners at primary health centres. Through this course, they will be trained for National Health programmes and also for providing emergency care and treatment. \
The government was keen to use nearly 4 lakh practitioners to fill the vacant posts of doctors in rural areas. Dr. Kumar said a committee of Central Council of Indian Medicine has already submitted the course module and recommended Indira Gandhi Open University to run the course and give the certificates. Dr. Kumar said the Medical Council of India has also been called for the meeting .
“But they have replied saying this as futile exercise.” Dr. Kumar said the recommendations of Central Council of Indian Medicine would be cleared and this course would be in force shortly.
In the function , cardiac surgeon and Chairman of Narayana Hrudayalaya Group of Hospitals Devi Prasad Shetty asked Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddi and Homeopathy practitioners to form a body at the State and the National level to lobby for the bridge course in allopathy.
He lamented the need for a structured training programme as prescribed by the Supreme Court for these practitioners to enable them prescribe allopathic drugs has not been met so far. A body like IGNOU can run this course, he added. Inaugurating the two-day conclave, Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader proposed setting up a Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddi and Homeopathy University in every State that will enable further research and growth of Indian systems of medicine. The State government will take the lead by setting up an Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddi and Homeopathy University next year.
Mr. Khader said the Government has taken steps to increase salary of Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddi and Homeopathy practitioners working in National Rural Health Mission programmes to Rs. 28,000.
It has also initiated action to recruit 583 Ayurvedic doctors through the Karnataka Public Service Commission.
