From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Feb 13: Ayush practitioners from across Karnataka will strike work from February 20 demanding permission to prescribe allopathy medicines for primary health care, especially during emergencies.

Dr N A Magadum, President of Ayush Federation of India’s Karnataka chapter, told reporters in Bangalore on Thursday that hundreds of Ayush practitioners will launch an indefinite strike from February 20 onwards at Freedom Park in Bangalore.

Dr Magadum said more than 80 per cent of the 40,000 Ayush practitioners were working in rural areas.

More than 700 of these have been deployed by the Government in the state-run medical facilities and at least 200 are substituting MBBS doctors.

The State Government is dependent on us and deploys our services whenever Government doctors strike work, he said pointing out that it was strange that the Ayush doctors cannot prescribe allopathy medicines in their clinics during emergencies to patients though they were allowed to function as allopathy doctors during such deputations.