Delhi HC Asks NITI Aayog to Expedite Process of Integrative Medical System

The Delhi High Court on Monday asked a Niti Aayog committee to expedite the process of a comprehensive integrated medical system that combines the strengths of various branches of medicine.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking for a holistic medical system, recognized the substantial knowledge present in different medical systems such as allopathy, ayurveda, and homeopathy. The court encouraged the exploration of the potential for integration.

The bench stated, “All are different branches. There is a wealth of knowledge if it can be integrated,” and further added, “Basic understanding of the human body is different in ayurveda and allopathy. All bodies are made differently…if knowledge can be integrated, why not?”

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing the Centre, expressed that such integration would bring “the best of everything.”

During the hearing, the court emphasized that the decision regarding integration should be made by experts. “It is not for you and me to decide. It is for the experts to decide,” the court asserted.

The petitioner, lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, informed the court that a committee had already been established by the Niti Aayog to address this matter. The court urged the committee to expedite its work.

The court also included two entities, Medico Legal Action Group and yoga exponent Ramdev’s Patanjali Research Institute, as parties in the case.

Upadhyay’s petition argues that embracing a holistic approach to medicine, combining modern and traditional practices in education, training, and policies, would uphold the right to health guaranteed under various articles of the Constitution. This approach would also enhance the doctor-to-population ratio in the country and strengthen the healthcare sector.

The petition highlights that integrated health systems exist in various countries, including China, Japan, Korea, and Germany, and stresses that coordination among medical systems would benefit patients.

The petitioner points out the considerable number of practitioners in systems like Ayurveda, Unani, and Homeopathy (AUH) in India and the potential for these practitioners to provide valuable support to the healthcare system.

The petition further emphasizes the potential negative consequences of the expanded pharmaceutical industry and the need for a holistic integrated healthcare system.

The case is scheduled for the next hearing on January 19, 2023.