'Huge Blunder...’: IMA Objects To Andhra Pradesh Allowing Ayurvedic Doctors To Perform Surgeries

New Delhi: In a big move towards integrating traditional Indian medicine with modern medicine, the Andhra Pradesh govt on Tuesday (December 24, 2025) approved permitting qualified Ayurveda doctors to independently perform surgical procedures in Andhra Pradesh.

Health minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav approved the proposal allowing Ayurveda practitioners, who have postgraduate qualifications in surgical disciplines and undergone prescribed training, to undertake surgeries, in line with existing national regulations.

With this decision, eligible Ayurvedic doctors can perform 39 percent general surgical and 19 percent ENT (ear, nose and throat) and ophthalmological treatments. These include treatments for contagious diseases, stitching wounds, piles, fissure, skin grafting and others.

IMA Raises Objections

The decision, taken in alignment with the guidelines of the Indian Medicine Central Council, 2020 and National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine, did not go too well with the President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Dr Dilip P Bhanushali.

Expressing dissent, IMA President said that IMA is definitely opposing the decision adding it's not that they don't respect Ayurveda or Homeopathy, but they have their own science.

He added, "But we want Ayurveda to be promoted in its original and pure form. Why should it be mixed with our modern medicine?... This will not only create many problems for patients, but it would also be a huge blunder... We will submit our memorandum and raise our objections..."

Adding further, he said, "This is going to cause a lot of problems, not only to the patients, but it's a real blunder to do that."

Upon being questioned about the next step following the decision, the IMA President added, "Unless there is a political will, there is nothing IMA can do about it. We have been writing to the Health Minister and the Prime Minister regarding this, but there is no communication from their side. See, they are pushing Ayush and we have objected to it. In fact, this has gone into the court also, there is a PIL in the Supreme Court also regarding this."

Indian Students In Bangladesh

Talking about the Indian Medical Students Association in Bangladesh seeking help as a medical body and appealing to PM, he said, "In fact, we are also going to write to the government that whatever help is needed, if they want to be evacuated from there, they should be brought back to India. That's what the IMA stand is."

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