The Andhra Pradesh government has permitted postgraduate Ayurvedic doctors with recognized surgical training to perform a defined list of surgical procedures in government run Ayush institutions. The decision was formalized through a government order issued by the Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department and has renewed a long standing debate over scope of practice between Ayurveda and modern medicine.
According to official communications reported by national and health sector media outlets, the state government has allowed Ayurvedic practitioners who hold postgraduate degrees in Shalya Tantra and Shalakya Tantra to perform 58 specified surgical and para surgical procedures. These permissions apply only to doctors trained under the Indian System of Medicine who have completed postgraduate education from institutions recognized by the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine.
The order specifies that eligible doctors must be working in government Ayush medical colleges, teaching hospitals, or state run healthcare institutions. The permission does not extend to private hospitals or private clinical practice.
The approved list includes 58 procedures, largely categorized as minor and intermediate surgeries. These procedures span multiple anatomical systems and include anorectal procedures such as fistula and fissure related interventions, ophthalmic procedures taught under Shalakya Tantra, dental procedures, ear, nose, and throat related surgeries, and certain general surgical procedures that form part of the postgraduate Ayurvedic curriculum.
Reports indicate that the procedures mirror those already listed in the postgraduate syllabus prescribed by the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine, which regulates education and professional standards for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Sowa Rigpa.
State officials have clarified that surgeries may only be performed within government controlled institutions where appropriate infrastructure, faculty supervision, and institutional accountability are available. The order explicitly restricts Ayurvedic doctors from performing these procedures in independent private practice settings.
The Health Department has stated that all procedures must follow established institutional protocols and be carried out under administrative oversight. Responsibility for implementation has been placed on institutional heads and hospital administrators.
According to government sources cited in the reports, the move aims to optimize the use of trained Ayush human resources within the public healthcare system. Andhra Pradesh has a network of Ayush colleges and hospitals where postgraduate Ayurvedic doctors receive surgical exposure but often have limited opportunities to apply their training within government service.
Officials have argued that allowing these procedures in controlled settings could improve service delivery in Ayush hospitals and reduce referral burdens in certain contexts.
The decision has faced opposition from sections of the allopathic medical community, particularly the Indian Medical Association. Leaders of the Indian Medical Association have expressed concern over patient safety, adequacy of surgical training, and the potential blurring of boundaries between different systems of medicine. The association has maintained that surgical procedures should be performed only by doctors trained under modern medicine, citing differences in curriculum structure, duration of hands on surgical exposure, and medico legal accountability.
In response, organisations representing Ayurvedic practitioners have supported the government order. Ayurvedic associations and faculty members from government Ayush colleges have stated that postgraduate courses such as MS in Shalya Tantra and MS in Shalakya Tantra include structured surgical training that has long been recognised by regulatory bodies governing Indian systems of medicine. They have argued that the approved procedures fall within the scope of their formal education and are being permitted only in regulated government institutions.
The Andhra Pradesh decision comes amid an ongoing national debate on cross system practice. Similar permissions have been granted in the past through central notifications and state level orders, which have frequently been challenged by medical associations.
As of now, the Andhra Pradesh government has not indicated any plans to withdraw or modify the order. Implementation will depend on institutional preparedness, availability of trained faculty, and compliance with regulatory oversight mechanisms.
(Rh/MSM)