The observance of rituals serves a largely symbolic function; They are imbued with a sense that gives the impression of a man-made system to the vagaries of nature. But pushing meaning beyond symbolism is fraught with danger. standing in function, in particular, is not compatible with the roles and responsibilities of a medical professional, and Charak oath row in Tamil Nadu, in which a top official of a government medical college was placed on a waiting list, has clearly dragged a function beyond its original purpose and purpose. Things came to a head with the suspension of the dean of the Madurai Government Medical College, but the controversy has been going on since February, when minutes of the National Medical Commission (NMC) discussions with medical colleges were leaked. One point read: “No Hippocratic Oath. Oath to be taken during White Coat Ceremony Maharishi Charak OathThe Charaka Oath appears as part of the Charaka Samhita, an ancient treatise on Ayurveda, and, like the Hippocratic Oath, seeks to set the ground rules for the practice of medicine for a student. Emphasizes scientific and ethical practice, it also highlights some of the values embedded in the cultural and social ethos of Charaka’s time, and is today seen as retrograde. Subordination of the genre, and gender bias have been flagged. Although it was later clarified that the oath was not mandatory, there were legitimate concerns about offering it as an alternative to the Hippocratic oath.
In the English version, read at the Madurai Medical College, there were two references which are counterintuitive – ‘To present oneself with a full devotional spirit to my guru (teachers),’ and ‘I, (especially a male doctor) are a woman. I will treat only in the presence of her husband or any close relative’. The rest of the oath, in simple language, emphasizes the principles of the Hippocratic Oath, which include serving the sick, in a pleasant bedside manner, and not corrupting. Subsequent investigations revealed that the Dean was not even involved in the decision to substitute the Charaka Oath for the Hippocratic Oath. student council took responsibility), And has since been reinstated, But instead of a crime or a breach of morality, which may procedurally deviate, it seems to initiate serious action, a knee-jerk reaction, or worse, the pursuit of a political agenda. Instead the focus should be on ensuring quality medical education, inculcating scientific outlook and sense of service to the patients in the students. While Tamil Nadu has often argued for the autonomy of the states in a federal structure, the Act does little to address that important issue. For NMC, the emphasis should be on the quality of education and not on the ringing of bells and whistles.