The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Medical Education (DME) has issued a circular directing all the medical colleges to strictly continue taking the Hippocratic oath. The MK Stalin-led state government also warned that any deviation would be viewed seriously.
The move came after new students of the Madurai Medical College, on 30 May, replaced the Hippocratic oath with the ‘Maharshi Charaka Shapath’ (oath) proposed by the National Medical Commission (NMC) in February. All over the world, the Hippocratic oath is administered after students receive their white coats at the induction ceremony.
The NMC proposed an abridged version of the oath, but many doctors have expressed their concern about its regressive and casteist nature. The action of the students came as a major embarrassment to state Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan, who was one of the guests on the dais at the event. Addressing the gathering later, the Minister said, "I always thought that the doctors took a Hippocratic oath. In fact, I've been recommending politicians to take the same oath."
Meanwhile, Madurai Medical College Student Council president Jothish Kumaravel said that the event was organised by the students. In a press conference on Monday, the college students also stated that the oath taking ceremony was arranged in a hurry within two days and was completely arranged by the students. "We got the circular only yesterday (Sunday) afternoon after the event finished, which said the Hippocratic oath should be followed," they said.
After all this transpired, the Tamil Nadu state government issued a circular on May 1, with the header “MOST IMMEDIATE URGENT” in which it is stated that it was brought to the notice of the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) that ““Charaka Shabath” in sanskrit” was taken instead of the Hippocratic oath. The DME has also directed all the medical colleges to strictly follow taking the Hippocratic oath, and any deviation will be viewed seriously.
Meanwhile, a doctor told TNM that this was not the only college where Charaka Shapath was taken. “The presence of the Minister might have been the reason this particular incident attracted a lot of notice,” they said.
The state government removed Dr A Rathinavel as the Dean of the Madurai Medical College on May 2 and used the move to underline the DMK government’s opposition to the Charaka Shapath which is seen as Hindutva imposition from the Narendra Modi-led BJP government in Delhi. The government also issued a press note stating that the Hippocratic oath had been followed since time immemorial by all medical colleges, and that the replacement of the oath with the Charaka Shapath was condemnable.
The students, however, did not back down and held a press meet in which they insisted that it was their decision to follow the guidelines issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC).
Although the dean claimed that he was not involved in the decision of the students, the government was unrelenting, leading observers to believe that Dr Rathinavel was made a scapegoat. Doctors of several associations who spoke in defence of Dr. Rathinavel pointed out that the TN government had deliberately avoided taking a position on the Charaka Shapath so far.
Tamil Nadu Government Doctors’ Association Dr Senthil, speaking to TNM, said that no communique had been received from Tamil Nadu government on this issue. “It was the first time a white coat ceremony was being held for government colleges in the state as it is only private institutions who hold these events. And this was done based on this NMC circular, which had mentioned the Charaka Shapath. So, the event was organised and the oath taken in accordance with the circular,” he said.
The oath taken by the students at the Madurai Medical College included these words: “I, (especially, a male doctor) shall treat a woman only in the presence of her husband or a near relative. During the period of study I shall live a life of self control, piety and discipline.” The oath was reportedly taken at other colleges in the state too; a video of the same has surfaced from the Ramanathapuram Medical College.
Origin of the issue: Minutes of NMC meeting
The whole controversy started on February 7, when the NMC held a meeting with all the medical colleges in India. The meeting was chaired by president of the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) Dr Aruna V Vaniker. The minutes of the meeting, which was widely circulated in social media, stated that there shall be “No Hippocratic oath”. Dr Vaniker also went on record saying, “During white coat ceremony (with parents) the oath will be ‘Maharishi Charaka Shapath’ present on the NMC website.” The minutes of the meeting went viral and received a major backlash on social media, with several doctors arguing that Charaka Shapath was regressive.
Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor said in a tweet, “Many doctors are expressing concern. I am all in favour of introducing Indian elements into Indian education, but not at the expense of universal values and standards. Why can’t the Charaka Shapath supplement, rather than supplant, the Hippocratic oath that doctors worldwide take?”
Further, a group of doctors from Karnataka had also written to the NMC Chairman Dr Suresh Chandra Sharma and Dr Aruna V Vanikar expressing concerns about purported changes being brought about in the medical college curriculum including replacing the Hippocratic oath. Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had also said in Parliament that the ‘Maharshi Charaka Shapath’ would be “optional and not forced on medical students.”
Even after all of the issue, the NMC released a circular, on March 31, for the implementation of new Competency Based Medical Education Undergraduate Course Curriculum. The eighth point of the guideline states that “Modified ‘Maharishi Charaka Shapath’ is recommended when a candidate is introduced to medical education.”
On April 2, reacting to the issue, Dr Aruna S Vaniker said that NMC’s UGMEB has only given “a recommendation” to teach Charaka Shapath. She also said that “Hippocratic oath was never a part of the Medical Council of India (MCI).”
Why Is Charaka Shapath problematic?
Tamil Nadu Indian Medical Association (IMA) president Dr Palaniswamy said that a letter from the IMA was given at the national level, as it is a national issue. “We said that the Hippocratic oath should be continued at the national level, and gave a letter to the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. He agreed to consider our request and the government also said it will not be implemented, so we did not do anything further,” he said.
On why this issue is not to be ignored, Dr Ravindranath, general secretary of Doctors Association for Social Equality said that the NMC has been acting to promote the “Hindutva” politics.
“They are trying to establish that Indian-Hindu medicine is the best in the world, so many modifications are brought in, of which one is the Charaka Shapath. Previously, ‘mixopathy’ (mixing modern medicine with Ayurveda) was brought in. Now, yoga is being inculcated in modern medicine. As part of that, it is being asked why we should follow the Hippocratic oath by a western person, and ours is best. Medical science should always be scientific and not influenced by religions,” he said.
On the modified version of the Charaka Shapath being taken, he said that first a modified version will come, then they will say the main version should be followed.
Appeal to the TN Chief Minister
“Though many deans and doctors had contradictory thoughts on this, as no further circular or advisories came from the Tamil Nadu government or the Union government, most private and government medical colleges followed this circular and followed Hippocratic oath and Charaka shapath,” the appeal read. Further, the TNGDA also clarified that the oath was taken only in English and not taken in Sanskrit “as reported.”
(Republished in arrangement with The News Minute.)
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