Ahmedabad: Practising ayurvedic doctors in Gujarat have moved the Gujarat high court, seeking directions to regulatory authorities to allow them to prescribe allopathic medicines if they have formally studied allopathy as part of their training.The petition has been filed by the All Gujarat Ayurved Medical Association, which argues that such permission has been denied for years by both state and central authorities. The petitioners contended that as they have studied allopathy medicine as part of their studies, they should be permitted to prescribe the same. The association has relied on a 2018 Supreme Court order that protected medical practitioners trained in integrated systems of medicine. These practitioners had obtained recognised degrees and diplomas from institutions teaching both ayurvedic and allopathic components. However, the govt authorities initiated action against them.According to a lawyer involved in the litigation, the Supreme Court granted interim relief and stayed coercive action against such practitioners.Justice H M Prachchhak has admitted the petition and sought replies from the authorities, including the state govt, Gujarat Board of Ayurved and Unani System of Medicine, Gujarat Ayurved University and the National Commission of Indian System of Medicine.The HC has decided to hear this petition along with a related case that has been pending for nearly two decades. The earlier petition, filed in 2006 by the Association of Indian System of Medicines, challenged a state govt circular that barred anyone other than MBBS-qualified doctors from practising allopathy in Gujarat.Following the admission of the new petition, the Gujarat Medical Council approached the HC to oppose the plea. During a hearing on Wednesday, Justice Prachchhak directed all parties to submit their replies within a week and scheduled the matter for further hearing.
