Unani, Ayurvedic doctors allegedly prescribing Allopathic medicines to gullible patients

Irfan Tilgami
Srinagar, Feb 18: Many Unani and Ayurvedic doctors are allegedly prescribing Allopathic medicines in medical block Kreeri , at the cost of the heath of gullible patients and there seems to be no check in place to curb this mal practice.
Sources revealed to ANN that the Unani and Ayurvedic doctors posted in several Hospitals, PHC’s And Sub Centre’s of the medical block kreeri, who are authorized to prescribe Unani and Ayurvedic medicines are allegedly prescribing the Allopathic medicine even as they have no training or knowhow of the allopathic system of medication.
Sources said that these doctors prescribe allopathic medicines even to the pregnant women and the infants. Wishing anonymity, one of the senior doctors of the Kreeri Block admitted that such mal practice prevailed openly in a number of hospitals and PHC’s.
BUMS, Ayurvedic, ISM docs practice Allopathic system in violation of the Medical Council of India (MCI) norms.

This illegal practice by the doctors is going on mostly in the hospitals of rural areas where MBBS doctors are not posted or remain absent from duties.
The government had appointed the doctors possessing degrees in other systems of medicine in rural areas to overcome the staff shortage as doctors holding MBBS degrees refused to serve there,” a senior official of the Health Department said.
Sources said that due to the non-availability of Ayurvedic or Unani medicines in the rural markets these doctors prescribe the allopathic medicines to the patients. “The ISM doctors know little about the formula, mode of action and dosage of the allopathic medicines so prescribing the same may prove disastrous for any patient,” said a doctor wishing anonymity.

Sources said that the basic concept of Indian Systems is entirely different from allopathic treatment. In case of Homoeopathy, treatment is provided by the likes. These two methods, ISM and Homoeopathy, do not have the concept of bacteria or virus or fungi which is the fundamental disease causing organism dealt with by the modern system,” sources in the health department said.
A senior doctor admitted that such practice did prevail in the number of hospitals of the state. “A doctor holding degree in one medical system cannot practice the other system of medicine as it is an offence and attracts high risk in prescribing the medicines of other disciplines” he said.
Sources also disclosed that BUMS doctors are conducting moderate surgeries for which they are not authorized.