By Venkatachari Jagannathan

Chennai, Aug 12 (IANS): Facing the ire of the Ministry of Ayush for degrading medical degrees -- Bachelors of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) and Bachelors of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) -- public sector general insurer The National Insurance Company Ltd has withdrawn its recruitment advertisement.

The National Insurance had recently come out with an advertisement for hiring 13 medical officers and 37 paramedics on contractual basis.

Pointing out the mentioning of BAMS and BHMS under the 'paramedics' category, the Ministry of Ayush in a letter to the Chairman and Managing Director of The National Insurance Suchita Gupta said it is inappropriate and misleading regarding Ayush system of medicine.

The Ministry told Gupta that BAMS and BHMS graduates are equivalent to MBBS graduates and also cited relevant provisions of the law and a Supreme Court judgement.

The Ministry had asked The National Insurance to withdraw the advertisement and consider BAMS and BHMS as the eligibility criteria for the Medical Officers position.

The National Insurance Company has now withdrawn the advertisement.