The Indian Medical Association appointed a new national President and General Secretary for 2020-21 in its 95th Annual National Conference on 30 December. Dr J.A. Jayalal will succeed Dr Rajan Sharma as President, while Dr. Jeyesh Lele will replace Dr R.V. Ashokan as General Secretary.

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Addressing the gathering audience present at the event, the new IMA President vowed to continue the fight against "mixopathy" promoted by the Central government. "IMA would not tolerate mixopathy promoted by the Central government and the Central Council of Indian Medicine, and we will not rest until the battle is won," Jayalal said. "Every effort would be taken to negotiate with the Central government not to encourage mixing of various streams of medicine which would ultimately only be detrimental to the unsuspecting illiterate public who would be denied the best of modern medicine," he added.

The Tamil Nadu Health Minister, who was present as the Chief Guest at the event, appreciated the IMA's cooperation with the state government amid the pandemic. "I would like to thank all the members of IMA for assisting the government selflessly and for their cooperation with the Government during the pandemic crisis. I would like to share my heartly wishes to the new national President for a better success and for continued cooperation in the future also," he said.

The IMA has been openly opposing the recent policy moves by the Centre which suggest an aggressive push to promote ayurveda while undermining the modern science of medicine. One such move also led to a writ petition in the Supreme Court. The IMA had filed a civil writ petition in the SC against the latest order by the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) which authorised post-graduate practitioners in specified streams of ayurveda to be trained to perform general surgical procedures. Last month, the Centre had allowed post graduate (PG) students of ayurveda to perform a variety of general surgery including orthopaedic, ophthalmology, ENT and dental through notifying an amendment in a gazette notification that CCIM issued in November. The latest amendment allows PG ayurveda students to receive formal training for such procedures. The training modules for surgical procedures will be added to the curriculum of ayurvedic studies.

This move has drawn a lot of criticism from the doctors of modern medicine across the country. A series of protests, headed by the IMA were called earlier this month to oppose the promulgated order. Lakhs of doctors including those employed in government hospitals wore black bands at work and hit the streets in small groups to agitate against the CCIM's notification.