Answer

Introduction

India’s traditional medical systems (AYUSH) enjoy deep public trust and formal state recognition, yet their integration with modern medicine remains contentious. The core dispute centres on patient safety, legal scope, and scientific validity. Tensions have grown as AYUSH practitioners seek parity with MBBS doctors.

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Reasons Behind the Debate and Tension Between Traditional Medicine (AYUSH) and Evidence-Based Modern Healthcare

• Philosophical and Scientific Divergence: Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha rely on concepts like doshas and prakriti, fundamentally at odds with modern medicine’s empirical, germ theory-based approach, making integration difficult.
• Public Health and Safety Concerns: AYUSH practitioners seeking legal rights to prescribe allopathic drugs and perform surgeries without MBBS-equivalent training raise serious patient safety concerns.
• Legal Ambiguity and State Policies: Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling against it, some states use Rule 2(ee) of the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945 to let AYUSH practitioners prescribe modern medicine, fueling the debate.
• Professional Wars and Medical Identity: Disputes over AYUSH practitioners using the title “doctor” and performing MBBS-reserved duties have fueled ongoing litigation and consumer complaints.

Legal, Educational, and Ethical Challenges of Integrating AYUSH Doctors Into Mainstream Healthcare

Legal Challenges

• Violation of Supreme Court rulings : Clear judgments as in Dr. Mukhtiar Chand & Ors vs The State Of Punjab & Ors (1998), prohibit cross-practice (AYUSH practitioners prescribing modern medicine), yet state orders continue to blur these lines, causing ongoing litigation.
• Contested surgical rights: Recent government notifications allowing AYUSH postgraduates to perform certain minor surgeries are under legal challenge due to concerns over safety and competence.

Educational Challenges

• Fragmented and incompatible curriculum: AYUSH curricula mix traditional metaphysics with sporadic modern science content, lacking the systematic, evidence-based training MBBS students receive, leading to skill gaps in clinical diagnosis and emergency management.
• Poor institutional capacity: Many AYUSH colleges suffer from inadequate infrastructure and faculty shortages; teaching quality is inconsistent, with nearly half of teaching positions vacant.
  

Ethical Challenges

• Lack of transparency with patients: Patients often are not clearly informed about the qualifications or scope of AYUSH practitioners, leading to confusion, especially in mixed or government-run healthcare settings.
• Absence of referral and accountability mechanisms: No clear protocols for referrals or accountability can cause under-treatment or dangerous overreach.
• Risk of harm from under-qualified interventions: Allowing under-qualified practitioners to perform high-risk procedures or prescribe drugs they are not trained for raises concerns about non-maleficence and justice.

Suggested Balanced Way Forward

• Define Clear Practice Boundaries: Legally mandate clear practice boundaries for AYUSH and modern medicine, with mandatory signages and patient disclosures in all healthcare facilities.
• Protocol-Based Collaboration: Create evidence-based referral and co-management protocols between AYUSH and modern medicine, leveraging each system’s strengths in primary care, wellness, and chronic disease.
• Strengthen AYUSH Education and Regulation: Upgrade AYUSH education, faculty, and infrastructure to match the rigor of modern medical training.
• Encourage Evidence-Generation and Research: Direct public funds to rigorous AYUSH research, trials, and safety monitoring to validate and integrate proven practices into public health.
• Patient-Centric Transparency and Choice: Ensure patients are informed of practitioners’ systems and qualifications to enable informed treatment choices.

Conclusion

Resolving the AYUSH modern medicine debate requires prioritising patient safety and scientific integrity. Traditional systems should focus on proven preventive and wellness care, while clinical and surgical interventions must be strictly regulated. An evidence‑driven framework can safeguard public health and enable AYUSH to contribute effectively.

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