Is the government encouraging ‘crosspathy’?
- January 23, 2025
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Is the government encouraging ‘crosspathy’?
Sub: Sci
Sec: Health
Context:
- The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) recently allowed homeopathic practitioners with a certificate in modern pharmacology to prescribe allopathic medications, a decision that is being challenged.
- This follows a 2017 notification permitting certain homeopathic practitioners to practice modern medicine, which was later stayed by the Bombay High Court due to concerns about patient safety.
Supreme Court’s Stance on ‘Crosspathy’:
- The Supreme Court has consistently ruled against the practice of ‘crosspathy,’ i.e., practitioners of one system of medicine prescribing treatments from another.
- In the 1996 case Poonam Verma versus Ashwin Patel, the Court held a homeopath liable for negligence after they prescribed allopathic medicine, which led to the death of the patient.
- A 2015 research paper emphasized that across judgments, the judiciary has held that cross-system practice is a form of medical negligence; however, it is permitted only in those states where the concerned governments have authorised it by a general or special order.
The Issue of Doctor Shortage:
- The central government has been promoting AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) systems of medicine, advocating for integrative or integrated medicine to address India’s shortage of doctors.
- The rationale, in general, has been that India has a shortage of doctors, particularly in rural areas, and that the AYUSH cadre of practitioners can help fill in these gaps.
- However, experts argue that integrating non-allopathic practitioners into roles meant for medical doctors without proper oversight could lead to risks in patient care.