Normal medical services crippled in Assam as doctors cease work

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Normal medical services in government, private and other hospitals in the State were crippled on Friday due to the nationwide cease work by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against the Centre's move allowing the ayurvedic practitioners to perform surgeries.

The Assam State Branch of the IMA has claimed that the protest was successful throughout the State. All medical establishments suspended their regular services. Private clinics were closed. The government, private and corporate hospitals closed their regular non-essential services, including non-emergency surgeries. There were protest demonstrations in front of the district hospitals, medical colleges & hospitals, OIL hospitals, ESI hospitals and periphery hospitals where large number of doctors took part. The emergency and Covid treatments continued in all hospitals during the strike. The Centre recently decided to allow the postgraduate degree holders of Ayurveda to perform a variety of procedures including general surgery, orthopaedic, ophthalmology, ENT and dental procedures and surgeries.The Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) in its latest gazette notification has allowed Ayurvedic PG pass-outs to receive formal training for such surgical procedures.

Dr Satyajit Borah, State president of IMA said that the latest circular of the CCIM paving the way for allowing Ayurvedic postgraduate doctors to practise various surgeries which are otherwise carried out by well-trained surgeons under the modern medical system has terrified all conscious people about public health.

Dr Borah, while thanking all doctors and doctors' associations for making the Friday's cease work stir successful, apologized to patients and relatives for causing inconveniences. "But we do believe that the IMA's strike is only for the welfare of the people and patients," Dr Borah said.

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