'Regressive, harmful': Medical fraternity slams move to merge Ayurveda with MBBS course

The combination course, being offered at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), is being termed as “regressive” by the medical fraternity, which strongly believes that it can compromise the quality of medical education in the country. Medicos argue that incorporating Ayurveda into MBBS could lead to contradictions while studying modern medicine, as students will be exposed to “unscientific practices”, ultimately undermining evidence-based medicine.

Unscientific combination: IMA

Back in 2022, the National Medical Commission (NMC) had made it mandatory for all medical colleges to have a Department of Integrative Medicine Research. Later in 2023, it was proposed to introduce foundation courses that would incorporate traditional medicine into the MBBS curriculum. However, medicos had at that time raised questions about the potential adverse effects of integrating traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda with modern medicine, a practice known as ‘mixopathy’.

Reiterating its stand against mixing the study of modern of medicine with Ayurveda, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has now demanded that the government should immediately withdraw this decision, which it describes as the “unscientific mixing of systems of medicine.”

China, Nepal’s experience

According to the statement issued by the IMA, China and Nepal also attempted to integrate traditional medicine with allopathy. In China, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) functions along with modern healthcare but operates largely on its own since past attempts at integrating the two had faced challenges and reportedly weakened TCM’s distinct identity. The IMA stresses the point that China miserably failed in its experiment of mixing modern medicine and Chinese traditional medicine.

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In Nepal, Ayurveda is widely practised alongside allopathy, yet their formal integration in medical education remains limited, with separate training programmes maintaining distinct professional boundaries, the statement said.

South Africa also has policies to integrate traditional healers into the national health system. Traditional healers are recognised and integrated into the healthcare system, with some working alongside allopathic practitioners in hospitals and clinics like they do in Nepal as well.

‘Risk of harmful drug interactions’

Referring to the practices of mixopathy in other countries, Dr Lakshya Mittal, National President of United Doctors Front said that while two different forms of medicine can co-exist, mixopathy could impact the standards of care and modern medical education.

“When combined, there can be instances of harmful drug interactions," Dr Mittal pointed out.

According to doctors, there are practical challenges involved in implementing the integrated course. To bring together two vastly different medical systems would create significant practical challenges, which would involve two inconsistent treatment protocols, harmful effects triggered by the potential interactions between modern and traditional medicines, and lack of standardised training for healthcare professionals.

Also read: Why no stream of medicine is pleased with Centre's DM Ayurveda courses

‘Ayurveda not evidence-based’

Dr Dhruv Chauhan, national spokesperson, Indian Medical Association- Junior Doctors Network also believes that this move is against the scientific temperament of the country since it involves combining two extremely unrelated paths of medicine.

“While modern medicine is evidence-based, Ayurveda lacks sufficient research data and trials to prove its efficacy on humans. Hence, combining them can be detrimental to patient health as it might lead to problems, and in that case, it would be difficult to differentiate the root cause behind the effect," Dr Chauhan asserted.

He felt this move would damage the credibility of Indian medical professionals globally and urged the government to prioritise evidence-based medicine.

Docs demand rollback of decision

The Doctors Association for Social Equality has appealed to the Union government to reconsider its decision. The general secretary of the association, Dr GR Ravindranath, said that modern scientific medicine has evolved through the integration of many sciences, and combining AYUSH and modern science is against scientific practices.

"The mixing of ancient medical methods with modern scientific medicine will affect scientific progress. Not only at the national level, it will undermine trust in Indian doctors and medicine on the global stage," he added.

Medicos have also urged the government to prioritise patient safety and wellbeing by focusing on evidence-based medical practices rather than experimenting with unproven integrated approaches. Moreover, the course is only being brought in to ensure Ayurveda has more takers, they added.

Matter of practicality

Meanwhile, senior hepatologist Dr Abby Philips said on his X page that Ayurveda is way past its "expiry date" and that in the current Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) curriculum, students are being taught modern medicine subjects along with “primitive, primal, and obsolete” Ayurvedic subjects.

“So, this new integration makes little sense, because if someone is already trained in MBBS, they would only choose to practise modern medicine from a rational and scientific point," he wrote.

He added that this course is a method to keep Ayurveda alive and kicking, and not to make healthcare education better.

Further, the doctor advised students not to opt for the course, as their future might be affected because good foreign universities will not accept healthcare degrees such as this integrated course.