To 

Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India

Minister of State, Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India

Chairperson, BOARD OF GOVERNORS, IMCC

Prime Minister Office    

Subject – ‘Empower Panchakarma, Empower Ayurveda’ through the Indian Medicine Central Council (Minimum Standards of Under Graduate Ayurveda Education) regulations 2020.

Introduction:

Currently, there has been a phenomenal increase in the demand for specialized therapies of Ayurveda, particularly Panchakarma, not only for the treatment of diseases but also for preventive & promotive health care.

Panchakarma in true sense, is gift from Ayurveda towards health care and the medical field of the world. The world is recognizing the Panchakarma as evidenced by a separate draft of WHO Benchmark for Practice in Panchakarma (https://www.who.int/medicines/areas/traditional/BenchmarksforTraininginAyurveda.pdf Panchakarma becoming the fastest-growing specialty and sharing the significant contribution in medical tourism and in some states like Kerala, Goa etc. it is the major sector in increasing the GDP.

Today's scenario is such that Panchakarma has become the identity of Ayurveda in society (poster boy of Ayurveda). Any Ayurveda clinic hardly runs without the support of Panchakarma procedures. Panchakarma has become the backbone of any Ayurveda hospital and relieves the economic burden of hospital administration. 

Ayurvedic classics emphasized the importance of learning, teaching and practice of speciality sciences. In modern science furthermore, the importance given and introduced superspeciality. The modern medical system strictly regulated at institutions and private levels by the governing council (MCI earlier) to make sure that particular speciality is practiced by a qualified person or not. This legal practice of speciality and superspeciality of allopathic medicine made tremendous growth. The governing council (CCIM, earlier) of Ayurveda, created many specialities but they are not well regulated and complete empowerment is not given to them in teaching and practice; among this Panchakarma speciality is worst affected one. This has led to the regression of quality Ayurveda teaching and practice, and it is the high time to pay attention to empower the speciality by all Ayurveda lovers.              

Following things need to be reviewed on a profoundly serious note- 

A. Removal of Kayachikitsa subject as allied subject to Panchakarma -  

Background-  

The Panchakarma MD degree was included in the CCIM gazette more than 20 years back (started approximtely around 1995). Initially when Panchakarma was separated, the provision to include the teaching faculties from kayachikitsa department was supposed to be for 5 years only because of the scarcity of teachers.   

Currently, approximately 2500 plus total Panchakarma post-graduates are available in India. But as the alternative is available, it is misused to recruit and promote the kayachikitsa postgraduates on the posts specially meant for the postgraduates of Panchakarma.

Problems:

1.      Due to this, only 30 to 40 % postgraduates can get the job as teaching faculty in Ayurvedic colleges. So, nearly 70 % of Panchakarma staff working in the Panchakarma Department are from the allied Subject Kayachikitsa. 

2.      The irony in the whole scenario is that the postgraduate who has hardly read or learned anything about Panchakarma during his whole postgraduate career (kindly refer to all the previous kayachikitsa syllabus), suddenly becomes the expert in the field, just with the label of teaching faculty. It is creating great harm to all – the students, the patients and the society.

In conclusion, when enough Panchakarma Post-graduates are available, there is no logic in continuing the Kayachikista as an allied subject. 

Strong Request To IMCC: 

So, we kindly request you to remove kayachikitsa as an allied subject for Panchakarma and give justice to the Panchakarma post-graduates. 

B. Revision of examination structure (increase in the number of papers) –

Background -

As society has been demanding Panchakarma, it has become the need of an hour to make every graduate from Ayurveda to have a better knowledge of the subject with good expertise. It has become imperative for teaching faculties to make the undergraduate students aware of various aspects of Panchakarma during his UG tenure only, so that there will be minimum mistakes practicing Ayurveda in the real world.  

Panchakarma is a very practical and applied subject. It has a vast syllabus which as per the current MSE draft 2020 by IMCC needed to be finished within 100 hours for theory and 200 hours for practical. It has to be covered through only one exam paper of 100 marks for theory and 100 marks for practical.

During studies, students only read the Panchakarma procedures and don’t concentrate on the applied aspect of using those Panchakarma procedures in various ailments/diseases due to lack of orientation in that direction due to the arrangement of syllabus.

Due to an attempt to cover the whole syllabus in one exam paper, enough attention cannot be given over the study of various equipment used for Panchakarma, use of various medicines specially used for Panchakarma or special attention towards other essential aspects of all the procedures.

Problems –

1.      Enough attention cannot be given to learn the necessary things needed for Panchakarma to treat the diseases.

2.      All the aspects of Panchakarma subject are not covered in one paper for examination.

3.      Enough time cannot be provided to teach applied aspects of Panchakarma in various diseases during theory lectures.

Strong Request To IMCC-  

It is requested to separate the whole UG Panchakarma syllabus into two separate papers of 100 marks each and  increase the teaching hours to 180 hours for theory (for practical 210 hours as proposed in the new MSE draft 2020).

C. Revision of Teacher Tier System and area of Dept.   

Background -

Any Panchakarma department handles the management of Panchakarma OPD, IPD, need of providing separate attention towards the Panchakarma theatre, the human resource management of Panchakarma therapists, attention towards cleanliness, management of biomedical wastes and all the other problems related to run any institutional Panchakarma theatre along with the main function as teaching faculty.

The load of work is same as the other clinical department like kayachikitsa. But the number of teaching faculties available to this department are always in a less number. Even most of the times, the designation also remains at junior level despite of holding larger responsibilities.

The area allotted to the Dept. is very less to carry out the academic activities and accommodate the museum and tutorial room.

Problems:

1.      Most of the times the teacher remains overburdened.

2.      Cannot justice all the responsibilities fully, though possessing the ability.

3.      There are chances of not able to provide enough attention to the quality of work of this prime department.

4.      The area allotted to the Dept. is very less.

Request To IMCC:

We request to increase the number of faculties and the area for Panchakarma department as follows-

1.      For 60 students capacity 1 professor, 1 reader and 1 lecturer shall be appointed.  

2.      For 100 students make an addition of 1 lecturer into the above structure, so the total faculty becomes 4 (1 professor, 1 reader and 2 lecturers).

3.      Increase in the built-up area for the department of Panchakarma from 37 sq. meters to 75 sq. meters for the Panchakarma department plus museum plus tutorial room. In PG dept. the museum, all dry drugs used for Panchakarma, devices, instruments and demos shall be kept for practical demonstration.

D. Revision of Patient management system in Ayurveda hospital for treatment (other than surgical interventions)

Background of the working pattern of Panchakarma OPD and IPD –

The patients are turning towards Ayurveda hospital for the special and different treatment of Panchakarma on their own. Rather, it is very common picture that Ayurveda clinic is identified by the name of Panchakarma clinics also.

The patients are willing to undergo Panchakarma treatment on their own even without suggesting them. So, the administration, management and arrangement of Panchakarma OPD and IPD section has become an important and integral part of any Ayurveda institution.

It is not just adding trust of society towards Panchakarma, but providing much more economical support needed for running the Ayurveda hospital on its own.

As every Ayurveda expert knows that all Ayurveda diseases are having two broad and separate domains for treating the same patient. So, all the patients are eligible and deserve the attention from Panchakarma faculties also with the equal dignity and importance.

A large section of patients of musculoskeletal disorders, neurological disorders, dermatological problems, along with the other routine gastrointestinal problems, respiratory disorders, cardio vascular disorders, Liver and hepatobiliary disorders, infertility and sterility related disorders, endocrinal disorders etc. are ready to get admitted and get treated with special Panchakarma procedures.

As per Ayurveda texts also, every treatment section of any disease, starts with chikitsa sootra i.e. treatment protocol, has the mention of Panchakarma guidelines mainly. In fact, it is the primary protocol in any diseased condition or swastha (Healthy) individual or the person wishing to undergo rasayana or vajikarana treatment.

In fact, Panchakarma has become the heart of every Ayurveda physician, clinic and hospital to get the fast recovery and quick results. It also provides options for healthy individual for getting treated by Ayurveda through seasonal expulsions of doshas through Panchakarma.

So, it is well accepted fact that before initiating any Ayurveda treatment, one should look for Panchakarma options in the said patient with the proper grades of severity and suggest the nature of Panchakarma treatment accordingly.

But regarding the administration and governing the Panchakarma wards and theatre, there are certain things which also need an attention at institutional level. As it has separate OPD, the allocation of separate area should be mentioned for Panchakarma OPD also needed.

As, the section of IPD is still kept along with Kayachikitsa. There is still no clarity in the distribution of beds or there is complete absence of bed allotment ratio in between kayachikitsa and Panchakarma.

Problems:

1.      There was absence of separate allocation for Panchakarma OPD area in previous draft and no clarity in the newer proposed one despite of having separate OPD.

2.      Merging the IPD section of Panchakarma into Kayachikitsa IPD creates more confusion in running Panchakarma IPD despite of having full demand from society.

3.      Sharing of Bed ratio and sharing the ratio of patients also becoming difficult with every passing year due to ambiguity.

Request To IMCC:

1.      It is needed to mention name of Panchakarma Out Patient Department in construction (built up) area of hospital building as it is not mentioned in MSR.

2.      The patients coming for general Ayurvedic treatment (excluding shalya, shalakya, prasuti evam stri roga and kaumarbhritya) shall be allotted equally to Panchakarma OPD and Kayachikitsa OPD (means from screening at registration counter, 1 patient will go for PK OPD and 1 patient for KC OPD alternatively).

3.      It is essential to separate Indoor Patient Department for Panchakarma from Kayachikitsa Indoor Patient Department and equal bed ratio shall be kept for both the departments.

E. Revision of hospital administration pattern –

I. Duration of Internship for the department of Panchakarma:

At first, we thank the members of the body of MSE draft 2020 by IMCC for listening to the hearts of all the Panchakarma enthusiasts and increasing the duration of internship from 15 days to 1 month. 

Request To IMCC:

Kindly keep the duration of one month of internship for Panchakarma as mentioned in the proposed MSE draft 2020 by IMCC

II. Management of human Resources for Panchakarma procedures -

Panchakarma theatre needs separate administrative hand along with the routine Panchakarma therapists.

Cleanliness and disposition of bio medical wastes is also a very big concern from all point of views. Due to the oily nature of procedures, special efforts are to be taken to maintain the cleanliness by the cleaning staff. So, a separate cleaning attendant is mandatory for Panchakarma theatre apart from routine hospital cleaning staff.

Also, there is always a need of helping aid as kitchen attendant for handling, keeping the stock of all the raw materials, cooking various preparations needed for Panchakarma procedures.

Problems:

1.      There is no mention of separate cleaning attendant for Panchakarma department

2.      There is no mention of separate kitchen attendant for Panchakarma department

Request To IMCC:

1.      Kindly create posts for separate cleaning attendant for Panchakarma department

2.      Kindly create posts for separate kitchen attendant for Panchakarma department

So, in a nutshell, we all Panchakarma faculties and specialists request you to empower Panchakarma by removing the allied subject Kayachikista and fulfilling the above demands for achieving excellence in teaching and practice.

From-

All India Panchakarma Teachers and Specialists Association