Madurai: The Madras High court’s Madurai bench yesterday posed a questioned to the State government whether it was possible to regularise their services of Siddha doctors under the National Rural Health Mission on par with Allopathic doctors and why they were being discriminated against.
Justices N Kirubakaran and S S Sundar further asked if under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, the Tamilnadu government would reserve at least 50 per cent of the appointments for Siddha doctors.
The judges pointed out that there were 33 districts in Tamilnadu, but only eight Siddha doctors were appointed by the government as district Siddha Medical Officers on regular basis.
“Therefore, the government has to respond as to when it would appoint regular district Siddha Medical Officer in each district,” the bench said. The judges also observed that there was no separate University for Ayush – Siddha, Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani and Homeopathy – in the State.
The bench said a separate University for Ayush was required and directed the government to submit a report by 24 April on when it would be established.