Dr. Neeraj Nagpal, a noted gastroenterologist and the convener of MLAG (medio-legal action group) opines on acupuncture recently being recognised as an independent system of healthcare.

India today is not a country which wants practitioners of modern scientific medicine. We want quacks, crosspaths, dubious claim merchants, babas, and methods of treatment discredited all over the world like homeopathy. But, we wish to put all kinds of shackles on doctors of modern scientific medicine.

The government at one time even wanted to recognise electrohomoeopathy. Bigger the farce and louder the claim, more the followers which means more votes for our politicians.

Today, Acupuncture has been given the status of a system of medicine. Soon the acupuncturists will be permitted to prescribe allopathic medicines and registered in State Medical Councils established under the IMC Act.

However all this is only for the “cattle class” because unfortunately the same leaders who dictate promotion of such dubious systems of medicine in the country will fly to USA Cleaveland clinics and Mayo clinics to be treated at public expense using modern scientific medicine by expat Indian doctors whom they pushed out of the country with their policies in the first place.

Let the parliament dispensary stock only homoeopathy, ayurvedic, siddha and sowa rigpa medicine first. Let parliamentarians be treated with acupressure and not waste public money on getting treated by modern scientific medicine.

All of us want easier solutions to our problems and patients are no different. It is however for the Government to take decisions which are in the best interests of the nation and not only what will fetch most votes.

There will always be lobbies and groups which will want one thing or the other, but to legalise the same and the consequences of such legislation is the responsibility of the Government.

The National Council against Health Fraud had concluded that:

1. Acupuncture is an unproven modality of treatment.
2. Its theory and practice are based on primitive and fanciful concepts of health and disease that bear no relationship to present scientific knowledge
3. Research during the past 20 years has not demonstrated that acupuncture is effective against any disease.
4. Perceived effects of acupuncture are probably due to a combination of expectation, suggestion, counter-irritation, conditioning, and other psychologic mechanisms.
5. The use of acupuncture should be restricted to appropriate research settings,
6. Insurance companies should not be required by law to cover acupuncture treatment,
7. Licensure of lay acupuncturists should be phased out.
8. Consumers who wish to try acupuncture should discuss their situation with a knowledgeable physician who has no commercial interest

We already are 186th out of 200 nations in Government healthcare spending presumably because we are having limited resources. If we have such limited resources why do we need to spend money on promoting dubious, unscientific, debatable and unproven therapies? Should we not use our limited resources judiciously only on therapies which are of proven benefit.

Disclaimer- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of M3 India.