DEHRADUN: The ayurveda-versus-allopathy debate has taken a new turn with the Uttarakhand Government deciding to allow ayurvedic doctors to prescribe select allopathic medicines to patients in emergencies.
Making the announcement on the sidelines of a programme to mark the International Day for Yoga at the Uttarakhand Ayurvedic University here, Ayush Minister Harak Singh Rawat said the decision was taken for the benefit of the people living in the state’s remote areas, where the primary health centres mostly had ayurvedic doctors.
There are around 800 ayurvedic doctors in Uttarakhand and as many ayurvedic dispensaries, of which 90 per cent are located in the remote hill areas, he said. The decision requires changes in the Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Chikitsa Adhiniyam.
However, the announcement sparked a sharp reaction from the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Uttarakhand, which termed it “illegal”. “It is illegal and falls into the category of mixopathy,” Uttarakhand IMA secretary Ajay Khanna said.