What is the bridge course for AYUSH doctors to practise modern medicine?

Bridge course in community health was designed and developed by IGNOU under the National Health Mission (NHM) for Nurses and Ayurvedic practitioners but it does not make them equal to MBBS. They can do certain limited allopathic prescriptions and procedures in the health centres as approved by the state Govt. In primary health centres such doctors will be placed only in the capacity of Ayush doctors but doing some limited practice of allopathy.

Indian Medical Association (IMA) the apex body of doctors in India has already conveyed its refusal and strong opposition to central Govt for treating the Ayush doctors equivalent to MBBS after the bridge course and exit test as was envisaged in the draft NHM policy.

So, the central Govt did not consider and removed the bridge course from the revised NHM policy and instead directed the states to take a decision at local level considering the shortage of MBBS doctors especially in rural and remote areas.

So far, only state of Maharashtra has taken a decision to go with bridge course for the Ayush doctors and place them in the health and wellness centres (HWCs) to practice allopathy to a certain extent wherever there is a shortage of the MBBS doctors. These doctors are called mid-level service providers and are appointed on a temporary basis. After the bridge course they have to qualify in an exit test.

IMA has strongly opposed this move of Maharashtra Govt and has termed it as playing with the lives of the patients. IMA is still fighting this issue with the central Govt.

So today this bridge course is not full in shape and is only available in the state of the Maharashtra and any person from Ayush background who wants to choose it should consider all the pros and cons of this career.

Except for the State of Maharastra, no one has implemented any course as the bridge course for Ayush doctors to practice Modern Medicine, Indira Gandhi National Open University designed a course as a bridge course for Ayush Doctors.
There was a proposal by the cental government to treat Ayush doctors also on par with MBBS doctors provided the doctors completes this bridge course. But the MBBS doctors all over India objected this move through Indian Medical Association. Then the central government dropped this idea of bridge course and advised the State government to see and decide their own strategy to get doctors.
Only Maharashtra government implemented this.

In fact the planning of the Bridge - course for the Ayush Doctor was to be taken up for strengthening of their core knowledge in the Allopathic - system. The programme seemed to be justified keeping in view of shortage of MBBS doctors and armouring the Ayush Doctors with the allopathy -system was to bridge the gap of prevailing shortage.,
In the similar line, a venture has been taken up by the Maharastra - government but due to growing resistance of the MBBS doctors to implement such a policy, the planning of such a scheme was withheld.