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.