Delhi HC grants time to Centre to reply on adopting holistic approach in medical education

A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Datta of Delhi high court gave six weeks to the ministries of health and family welfare, women and child development, home affairs and law and justice to file their responses to the petition for the adoption of an “Indian holistic approach” in medical education and practice, instead of the “colonial segregated way”.

While hearing a plea seeking the adoption of an “Indian holistic approach” in medical education and practice instead of the “colonial segregated way” of having different streams of allopathy, ayurveda, yoga and homoeopathy, the Delhi high court has granted more time to the Union ministries to file their replies.

A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Datta gave six weeks to the ministries of health and family welfare, women and child development, home affairs and law and justice to file their responses to the petition. The court listed the matter for the next hearing on July 6, as reported by The Print.

The counsel for the Union Ayush ministry informed the court that they have already filed their reply on record.

“Reply has been filed by respondent no. 2 (Ayush ministry) only. Other respondents have not filed their replies. Let others also file it within six weeks,” the court said.

Petition seeks holistic approach to secure right to health

The plea is filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. He opines that the adoption of a holistic approach in the medical field, which would be a combination of modern and traditional medicine at the levels of education, training, practice and policies and regulations, would secure the right to health guaranteed under Articles 21, 39(e), 41, 43, 47, 48(a), 51A of the Constitution and improve the country’s doctor-to-population ratio as well as strengthen the healthcare sector.

“We have an alternative force of medical professionals who have always been neglected by the government and are capable of providing a supporting hand to uplift our healthcare status. There are 7.88 lakh Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy (AUH) doctors. Assuming 80 per cent availability, it is estimated that 6.3 lakh AUH doctors may be available for service and considered together with allopathic doctors, it gives a doctor-population ratio of around 1:1,000,” the petition said.

“An integrated health system is the only solution to achieve the sustainable health goal of India,” the petition added.

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