The Supreme Court rejects review petitions on Ayurvedic doctor pay equality.
The bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal rejected the review petitions, stating that no errors or grounds for review were found in the April 26, 2023 judgment.
The Medical Officers (Ayurved) Association and some individuals filed review petitions against the April 26 judgment by Justices V. Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal, which had overturned the Gujarat High Court's decision that equated Bachelor of Ayurved in Medicine and Surgery degree holders with MBBS doctors.
The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine requested a modification of the two-judge bench's judgment.
In its previous ruling, the Supreme Court highlighted the distinct strengths and constraints of each medical system and emphasized that it was not within their jurisdiction to determine the superiority of one over the other.
The Court additionally noted that MBBS doctors are trained for assisting in complex surgical procedures, a responsibility that Ayurvedic doctors are not prepared for. The Court clarified that while every alternative system of medicine has its historical significance, contemporary practitioners of indigenous medicine systems do not undertake intricate surgical operations. A study of Ayurveda does not provide the authorization to conduct such surgeries.
The Court also underscored the practical distinctions in the roles of Allopathy and Ayurvedic doctors.
The Court ultimately concluded, "Therefore, even though we acknowledge the significance of Ayurveda doctors and the promotion of alternative/indigenous medicine systems, we cannot ignore the fact that both groups of doctors are not engaged in equivalent tasks that warrant equal compensation."
TAGS: Supreme Court ruling Ayurvedic doctors MBBS doctors surgical procedures alternative medicine equal pay.
