why mixing AYUSH in registration®ulation with allopathy is not advisable?

Why Distinct Systems of Medicine Must Remain Legally Separate?

 Demanding amendments to recent 2026 amendment to APAPMCE  act that combined the  registration and regulation  of AYUSH hospitals with modern medicine(allopathy) hospitals, which could create ambiguity, confusion, fear of integration and cross-pathy!

Ref: 

1. GO.MS.NO: 29- LAW(F) DEPARTMENT DATED 10-4-2026.

      2. GO.MS NO:59 dated 7-5-2026 ( MOH&FAMILY WELFARE dept).

    3 . Amendment ACT-2026 of AP Allopathic Private Medical Care Establishments Act, 2002- (Bill No.5 of 2026 ).

Scientific Clarity in Healthcare Laws Is Essential for Patient Safety

The proposed amendments to the AP Allopathic Private Medical Care Establishments Act, 2002 aim to strengthen regulation and curb quackery — an objective fully supported by the medical fraternity. However, healthcare legislation must also preserve scientific clarity, legal accountability, and patient safety.

A key concern is the potential legal ambiguity created by mixing distinct systems of medicine under a common regulatory framework. Modern evidence-based allopathic medicine and AYUSH systems are governed by separate educational, scientific, and statutory principles. Any dilution of these distinctions may lead to public confusion, unauthorized cross-practice, and medico-legal complications.

The Hon’ble Supreme Court, in Poonam Verma vs Ashwin Patel, clearly held that practicing outside one’s recognized system of medicine amounts to negligence. Therefore, explicit statutory safeguards against cross-practice are legally necessary.

The law should ensure:

• clear system-specific definitions,
• mandatory display of qualifications and registration,
• evidence-based treatment standards,
• strong action against quackery and misleading cure claims,
• proportionate and risk-based regulation for small hospitals.

Healthcare reform succeeds only when regulation protects both patient welfare and scientific accountability.

I. DEFINITONAL CLARITY

Existing Concern	Suggested Amendment	Rationale
Inclusion of AYUSH systems within definition of “Modern Medicine”	Define “Modern Medicine” exclusively as evidence-based allopathic medicine regulated under NMC framework	Prevents legal and scientific ambiguity
Mixing distinct systems under common terminology	Introduce separate statutory definitions for AYUSH systems	Preserves system-specific identity and accountability

 II. PREVENTION OF UNAUTHORIZED CROSS-PRACTICE

Suggested Clause	Purpose
Explicit prohibition on practitioners prescribing or practicing outside their recognized system	Protects patient safety
Mandatory display of practitioner qualification and registration number	Enhances transparency
Clear signage specifying system practiced (Allopathy/AYUSH/etc.)	Prevents patient confusion

 III. SYSTEM-SPECIFIC REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

 

Concern	Suggested Amendment
Uniform regulation of scientifically distinct systems	Create separate technical standards for allopathic hospitals and AYUSH establishments
Common regulatory authority composition	Ensure proportional representation of modern medicine experts in matters relating to ICU, surgery, emergency care, biomedical standards, infection control etc.

  IV. PATIENT SAFETY & SCIENTIFIC ACCOUNTABILITY

 IMA proposes inclusion of provisions mandating: 

· evidence-based treatment protocols,

· biomedical waste compliance,

· infection control standards,

· emergency referral protocols,

· rational drug usage,

· mandatory adverse event reporting.

WHAT IMA SHOULD DEMAND: