AYUSH PHYSICIANS IN LUCKNOW CLASH WITH POLICE
The Times of India
Feb 27, 2014, 03.17 AM IST

Lucknow: Striking ayurvedic, unani and homeopathy doctors clashed with police here on Wednesday. Trouble started when the police tried to stop the doctors from proceeding towards the chief minister's office.

Under the aegis of National Integrated Medical Association, the doctors are demanding permission for use of modern medicines in emergency situations

. The ministry of health and family welfare has also approved the amendment so as to promote alternative streams of medicines.

The move would positively affect patients and over 1 lakh ayush doctors in UP. So far, AYUSH doctors are not entitled to prescribe medicines of other streams and violation of the rule amounts to malpractice which could mean losing their licence to practice.

The protests started on February 19 with a couple of doctors proceeding on a hunger strike. President NIMA, Dr Moid Ahmed, claimed that more than 40 doctors were injured in the unprecedented cane charge while five doctors have survived a fracture.

Dr Moid informed that Akhilesh-led Samajwadi Party government had promised to introduce an amendment in the UP Indian Medicine Act, 1939. "The request for amendment is in interest of patients. Other states have already introduced the amendment. Maharashtra is the most recent example," they said.