AYUSH is a traditional healing practice originated with human faith than scientific experiment or laboratory proof. Equal to the patronage that AYUSH enjoys in India today, it also has received severe criticism and the title called pseudoscience. The pseudoscience tag has come to AYUSH mostly due to cross pathy by several institutionally qualified AYUSH vaiydas in private practice than due to lack of any science.
The cross pathians, for example when prescribe proven allopathic drugs like acetaminophen and antibiotics along with some AYUSH products, it is quite easy for the patients to compare and differentiate the efficacy of AYUSH product. If the patient experiment either allopathic drugs or AYUSH products alone, they can easily ascertain the merit. In truth AYUSH products are not drugs like that of allopathic system. AYUSH products are meant for wellness of mind and body and are not meant for curing or treating diseases. When the cross pathians engage in allopathic practice, such situation unnecessarily put the entire AYUSH into test and earns the unwanted title called pseudoscience.
AYUSH vaidyas must promote and popularise the science of AYUSH; the holistic therapy approach, massage therapy, Thokkanam, Shirodhara, Yoga, mantra healing, mind healing etc., than cross pathy. The scientific benefits of AYUSH products for paramedical therapy must be established instead of making unnecessary and unwinnable attempt to prove AYUSH products are drugs through modern scientific parameters.
The pseudoscience tag must be removed from AYUSH and which is possible only if the AYUSH vaidyas in private practice are legally barred from engaging in cross pathy. The faith element and spiritual healing origin of AYUSH must be popularized. AYUSH broadly classifies the human body constitution into three categories such as Vata, Pita and Kapha by linking with the elemental factors of human system. AYUSH also allows the combination of Panch Bhoota Tatva and taste based diagnosis and treatment methods. The Nadi Pariksha more than diagnosis of the disease, forms as a bridge to build mind level relationship with the patient as the trust is the foundation of vaidya-patient relation in AYUSH.
Time is up for the Ministry of AYUSH to re-launch AYUSH more as wellness based paramedical healing practice of ancient India than as medical science so that the medical malpractice – cross pathy by several institutionally qualified Siddha and other AYUSH vaidyas in private practice can be prevented.
Like the ethos of one India, AYUSH also need a single unified identity instead of the abbreviated acronym called AYUSH. Therefore re-naming AYUSH as Indian Traditional Medicine is inevitable so that all institutionally qualified vaidyas can be mandated to be known to the society as healers from Indian Traditional Medicine with their specialization either as Siddha or Ayurveda.
The distinction between vaidyas and MBBS doctors must be made clear, vivid and obvious and such distinction alone will help the promotion of AYUSH effectively. But today the distinction is evanescent due to medical malpractice and cross pathy by several AYUSH vaidyas in private practice. The copy, cut, paste style of educational system of AYUSH that has been adopted from the allopathic education system has created a huge mess in the society. The above situation has eroded the credence of AYUSH and as a result several AYUSH vaidyas in private practice instead of proving the absolute essentiality of AYUSH to our society are competing to establish their identity as doctor through cross pathy. To remove the mist of pseudoscience from AYUSH, cross pathy by some AYUSH vaidyas in private practice must be ended.
