Move to integrate Siddha practices into T.N.'s public health system draws flak from doctors

The Hindu

18 hours ago

Doctors are fuming over a decision to integrate Siddha practices into the State's public health system. Condemning the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine for entering into a pact to promote integrative healthcare, doctors' associations have called it a regressive step to promote 'mixopathy' and 'pseudo-scientific' practices.
The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, the Commissionerate of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy, and the National Institute of Siddha, Chennai, have formalised a collaboration through a memorandum of understanding to jointly promote integrative healthcare. According to an official communication issued by T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health, the initiative aims to bridge the strengths of modern medicine with the rich heritage of the Indian System of Medicine. The partnership reflects the government's vision of promoting holistic, inclusive and accessible healthcare, it said.
'By integrating validated Siddha practices into the public health system, the State aims to provide affordable and culturally rooted healthcare options to its people. The initiative represents a progressive step toward a healthcare model that values tradition and science alike - delivering better outcomes through collaboration and innovation,' it added.
P. Saminathan, president of Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association, in the statement, said this 'unscientific decision' of the DPH, which in principle itself amounted to mixopathy, would lead to a gradual decrease in standards of all systems of medicine — modern medicine, Siddha, Ayurveda, Unani, and homoeopathy. He said the Health Department was 'committing a historic blunder by taking this regressive step.'
'Let science be science. Each system of science will develop if research is done, instead of bringing in mixopathy in thè name of integrating them. It will also lead to gradual demise of a system of medicine,' he said. The SDPGA sought the intervention of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to stop this decision.
G.R. Ravindranath, general secretary, Doctors' Association for Social Equality, charged the Health Department of buckling under pressure from the Union government. 'By integrating Siddha and homoeopathy with modern medicine, the State's Public Health Directorate is implementing the Union government's push for integrated medicine. This is highly condemnable,' he said.
'Is the Tamil Nadu government going to promote pseudo-scientific practices? There is no scientific basis for integrated medicine, and this will go against the welfare of people' he said.
A senior government doctor said traditional medicine — an ancient system — does not have the solutions for new age diseases. 'Among the top 10 mortality contributors in Tamil Nadu are diabetes, hypertension, myocardial infarctions, stroke, tuberculosis, and chronic kidney diseases. According to the Sustainable Development Goals, premature mortality due to non-communicable diseases should be reduced by 2030. But none of the Indian systems of medicine have solutions to manage these diseases. Then, what is the role of integrative medicine in reducing mortality and disability?' he asked.