Ayurveda Vs Allopathy: Bridging the Divide?

Ayurveda Vs Allopathy: Bridging the Divide?

Allopathy/Modern Medicine is the science of the human body, Ayurveda is the science of life. While ayurveda has been practised since 200BC, modern medicine made its entry into India only in the 19th century. Since then the systems have co-existed, but not always, peacefully. What I intend to explore is not which system of medicine is superior, rather, the dichotomy between the two.

[1] There is no doubt that individuals (patients) have the free will to decide which system of medicine they want to utilise. The reason modern medicine had a meteoric rise is its solid foundation in scientific evidence. Ayurveda may be inferior in terms of published research, but that does not necessarily discount its effectiveness.

[2] The two systems can co-exist, independent, and parallel. Then why the controversy?

[3] The problem started when practitioners of one system of medicine began to utilise medicines from the counterpart, termed ‘Crosspathy’ or ‘Mixopathy’. It may have been done with intention of utilising the capabilities of both systems, but it brought with it a legal and regulatory conundrum.

[4] The issue became amplified when the Government of India tried to integrate both these systems of medicine, by proposing the ‘Bridge Coarse’. This was an attempt at solving the predicament of an inadequate healthcare system in the country by amalgamating both system.

[5] Widespread protests followed, and the Government repealed the Bridge coarse.

[6] The legal status currently?
Crosspathy is illegal in India. The only Allopathic medications that Ayurvedic practitioners can prescribe are over-the-counter drugs, which do not require a prescription.

[7] A lesser known fact: Allopathic doctors also are not permitted to prescribe Ayurvedic or homeopathic medicines.

[8]It is not a matter of which system of medicine trumps the other, but rather a matter of training. I don’t think a practitioner who is not trained & qualified to prescribe a treatment, should be allowed to do it.

[9] Developing a unified system of medicine can be attempted, but that requires a thought out process and training accordingly.

[10] Blurring the lines between the two systems does not increase capability, it decreases the standard.

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