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The Ayurveda fraternity in Kerala, especially the Association of Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI), an association of practicing Ayurveda medical graduates, is up in arms against the decision of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) for winding up two speciality post graduate courses belong to Ashtanga Ayurveda.
In the draft regulation for the syllabus modification for PG courses published by the NCISM, two important speciality courses, MD in Manasa Chikitsa (Psychiatry) and MD in Rasayana & Vajikarana (Treatment for sexual dysfunction) have been recommended for winding up from next academic year. Against this decision, AMAI has decided to approach the NCISM with a request to continue with the programmes as the subjects belong to the Ashtanga Ayurveda.
The national commission has sought suggestions and proposals from all the stakeholders within one month of the publication of the draft. The draft regulation was published on the 22nd of this month and the people can submit their suggestions till June 22.
According to Dr. V G Udayakumar, advisor to AMAI and former CCIM member, these two courses are very important speciality courses in Ayurveda and they belong to the Ashtanga Ayurveda, the eight divisions of the Ayurveda system of treatments. He pointed out that these two specialties are in existence for the last several decades and several doctors have done their PG programmes in the subjects. He further said speciality courses in medical sciences were started first in the Ayurveda system centuries ago and from the beginning onwards these two subjects are under the speciality category.
Talking to Pharmabiz, Dr. Udayakumar said AMAI has called a meeting of its executive committee next week to deliberate on the issue. Academic experts from Ayurveda educational institutions will also attend the meeting. The outcome of their deliberations will be shared with the NCISM later.
When asked for the reason for relinquishing the PG programmes, he said the members of the NCISM may be thinking of bringing these two subjects under the general medicine category. In Kerala MD in Manasa Chikitsa is conducted in Kottakkal Ayurveda College in Malappuram district.
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