The Madras High court on April 22 asked why Siddha doctors in the State were being discriminated against and if it was possible to regularise their services underthe National Rural Health Mission on par with Allopathic doctors.

A division bench of the court's Madurai bench, comprising, Justices N Kirubakaran and S S Sundar, also posed if the government would reserve at least 50 per cent of the appointments for Siddha doctors under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram. Though there were 33 districts in Tamil Nadu, the government has appointed only eight Siddha doctors as district Siddha Medical Officers on regular basis.

"Therefore, the government has to respond as to when it would appoint regular district Siddha Medical Officer in each district," the bench said. It observed that there was no separate University for Ayush which comprises Siddha, Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani and Homeopathy, in Tamil Nadu. There was need to have a separate University for Ayush and government has to respond as to when a separate one would be established in Tamil Nadu, the bench said, posting the case for government's reply on April 24.