By MM Special Correspondent
New Delhi: Keeping in view the shortage of doctors, the central government has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for enhancing the age of superannuation of all doctors of the Central Health Service to 65 years with effect from May 31, 2016. However, Unani, Homeopathic and Ayurvedic doctors were left high and dry by the government. Unani practitioners’ sole representative body the All India Tibbi Congress has taken up the matter with the government urging that there should be no discrimination with Indian traditional medicines.
Tibbi Congress secretary general Dr Syed Ahmad Khan said he sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modiasking him to intervene into the matter. He said the statement -issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on raising the age of retirement- did not mention about Unani, Homeopathic and Ayurvedic doctors as they are also a vital part of the healthcare sector in the country.
Welcoming the decision of enhancing superannuation age of all doctors in Central Health Service to 65 years, Dr Khan said the government should not deprive Indian medicine doctors from this facility as they are also working in central government health services.
He urged the Prime Minister to end this discrimination and to announce the inclusion of Unani, Homeopathic and Ayurvedic doctors in the superannuation age scheme before the Yoga Day which falls on June 21.
It is said about 4000 Allopathic doctors under the Central Health Service will get the benefit of new announcement while hundreds of vacancies in Unani, Homeopathic and Ayurvedic hospitals have been lying vacant for years.