BioVoice News December 2017-January 2018 Issue 7 Volume 2 | Page 27

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: confusing terms in the bill as, for example, it contradicts its own definition of ‘medicine’. Medicine itself is defined as “modern scientific medicine in all its branches and includes surgery and obstetrics,” but does not include veterinary medicine and surgery. However, the Bill repeatedly says that the government wants “to bio analysis enhance the interface between homeopathy, Indian systems of medicine and modern systems of medicine”. Indian medicine may prescribe”. An AYUSH practitioner is defined as a person who is a practitioner of homoeopathy or of Indian medicine. There will be a national register of the AYUSH practitioners who have qualified the bridge course. The Section 49(4) says that a “specific bridge course may be introduced for the practitioners of homeopathy and of Indian systems of medicine to enable them to prescribe such modern medicines”. Also, the Section 54(o) says the government can notify rules for “the modern medicines that the practitioners of homeopathy and of India has one doctor for every 1,674 people whereas the World Health Organization’s norm is one doctor for every 1000 people. Those who support the bill in its current form, argue that the demand- supply dynamic in medical education is an area for concern and hence the “bridge course” for those who have been trained in traditional medicine like Ayurveda as well as homeopathy should be allowed. COUNtER ARgUMENtS To the allegation that this will encourage quacks, the section of bureaucrats point out to the fact that the MBBS doctors refuse to BioVoiceNews.com 27