With no central registration, future of Ayurveda students lie in limbo

Kolkata: More than 500 graduate and post graduate Ayurvedic practitioners in the state have been unable to find a job in government or private hospitals outside Bengal as the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), the regulatory authority, has stopped issuing registration to the state candidates for nearly five years.

After obtaining graduate and post-graduate degrees, one has to obtain national level registration if he/she wants to move to other states and practice Ayurveda in any of the state-run or private hospitals. Many of the candidates from Bengal have cleared various examinations in other states which could secure them an employment in the rank of medical officer in Ayurveda. But these candidates are not finding job as they have not yet obtained the registration from CCIM. This has left many job aspirants shocked and shattered and their careers doomed due to the carelessness of some people. Job aspirants are also clueless as to how they can obtain a national registration in order to practice Ayurveda in other states.

It can be said here that MBBS or any post graduate doctors from any states have to get a registration from the Medical Council of India (MCI) if he/she are willing to practice medicine in any hospital across the country. A doctor can practice medicine here in the state with the registration from the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) but he or she has to get another registration from the MCI if he or she wants to practice in any part of the country other than Bengal.

According to sources, CCIM has not been issuing registrations to the state candidates since 2012 as a result of which around 500 graduate and post graduate Ayurvedic doctors despite their credentials were deprived of jobs. This has already triggered a sense of annoyance among the Ayurvedic practitioners in the state. Every year altogether 120 candidates complete their graduation and post-graduation courses from Bengal. It has been alleged that there had been a delay as the Centre is trying to prepare a comprehensive data bank for which they are incorporating the information of Ayurvedic practitioners who completed his course few decades ago complicating the whole situation.

Both the Centre and state have blamed each other for the incident. A spokesperson of the CCIM on condition of anonymity alleged that the state government has not been providing necessary data to them as a result of which they were unable to proceed further. According to the official, Paschim Banga Aurvedic Parishad (PBAP) failed to give them data in this regard.

A senior official of PBAP has, however, denied the allegation saying that the CCIM had been proactive enough to issue licenses to these Ayurvedic practitioners and are trying to cover their fault by blaming others.

A student who has recently cleared an examination in Jharkahnd said that it has been utterly disheartening that a candidate cannot get a job in government institutions outside Bengal due to the lackadaisical attitude of a section of people who are unfortunately at helm of affairs.