The Central government recently proposed starting an integrated course – MBBS and Ayurveda medicine, at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in Puducherry. This proposed move has evoked a strong response from the Indian Medical Association who has said this unscientific mixing of various systems of medicine will benefit neither doctors, nor patients.

This is not the first move to mix traditional and modern systems of medicine in India – other such measures for instance, have included proposals to allow traditional medical practitioners to prescribe modern medicine after a short course.

What are the risks of mixing alternative systems of medicine with the MBBS course? Is there a benefit to integrated systems and if so, how should these be brought in? Has any other country managed to successfully combine alternative systems with modern, evidence based medicine?

Guest: Rajeev Jayadevan is the Chairman, Research Cell, Kerala State IMA, Past President, IMA Cochin

Host: Zubeda Hamid

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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