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| BMOs warn Ayurvedic doctors against prefix of “Dr” | | | Rajesh Tondon
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, June 23: Shocking it may sound but it is fact that Block Medical Officers have issued strict orders to remove the prefix “Dr” from names of Ayurvedic doctors who are working as Mid Level Health Providers cum Community Health Officers in Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs) recently set up in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The incidents happened in second and third week of June in Medical Blocks of Dhansal, Bishnah and Marh of Jammu district where BMOs passed orders to remove the prefix “Dr” from the names of Ayurvedic doctors who are working in HWCs.
Quoting the order of Director Health Jammu issued vide No:- DHS-J/Sch/AYUSH/MLHPs/912-24, Dt:- 09-06-2020, the BMOs have also warned for strict action.
Initially, Directorate of Health Services Jammu issued a letter vide No:- DHS-J/Sch/AYUSH/MLHPs/835-47, Dt:- 28-05-2020 in response to representation received on the behalf of Ayurvedic graduates with the clear cut instructions to all Chief Medical Officers for addressing prefix “Dr” with Mid Level Health Providers but soon after getting pressure from medical fraternity another letter was issued by Director mentioning therein that the issue of prefixing “Dr” title pertains to Mission Director NHM.
The Block Medical Officers in order to satisfy their ego and to treat their degrees superior to the AYUSH issued such orders which otherwise carry no worth owing to similar professional value of both MBBS and BAMS courses. However, recently on 13 June some Ayurvedic doctors were deputed by Mission Director NHM to Govt Medical College Jammu for performing COVID duties by addressing their names with prefix doctor.
In many district the Ayurvedic graduates working as MLHPs were also designated as medical officers and doctors just to exploit them for COVID-19 duties and many more are also doing the same since the spread of this pandemic without any rest side by side MBBS doctors.
However, the title “Dr” is honorary which comes out of attaining degree and not of designation of Job. Several graduates of BAMS, dental, Vets, Unani etc working in other departments are using title Dr with their names and Govt never stopped them.
On 18 Dec 2018, Union minister of State for Health and Family welfare responded to a query raised by the Lok Sabha Member Tapas Mandal whether all practitioners can use the ” Dr” tag before names and how can a common man differentiate between practitioners of different paths in this case.
The Minister replied that people holding degree in Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS), Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS), Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS), Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery (BSMS), Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yogic recognized by the central government are allowed to prefix “Dr” before their names.
The Minister further added that this decision comes after the central government under the Directorship of ICMR had constituted a committee to provide a recommendation on the effects/benefits of a various system of medicines in the country. The association issued a recommendation which says that the prefix ’Dr’ can only be used by a practitioner of that system of medicines that are recognized by the central government. The recommendation had been accepted by the government, which has already issued an order in this regard on November 25, 2003.
It is also evident from the research studies that BAMS is a very good course. Due to various side effects of allopathic medicine, various people are switching towards Homeopathic or Ayurveda medicine. In Ayurveda, lots of research is going on and it has cure for many diseases, which are incurable and also doesn't have any side effects also. Thus, both MBBS and BAMS are equivalent
When contacted, Director Health services preferred to ignore our questions and maintained silence. |
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