The Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, I wish to address the present situation of our indigenous medical sector—Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani—whose demand has grown with our people’s cultural and health needs, especially serving rural and economically disadvantaged communities. Despite five-year professional degrees plus one-year internship, many qualified indigenous doctors remain unemployed due to lack of government appointments and funding over the years.

¶ 02 University intakes for these courses have increased from about 25–50 to 120–200 annually in the last five years, further enlarging the pool without matching posts. As per the current Budget, 2,720 appointments are cited, but by January next year the unemployed will be about 2,062, plus 360 now interning and 363 to intern in 2026—total about 2,785.

¶ 03 Given population growth, we must increase cadre positions. Based on the latest census indications, I propose creating approximately 7,043 new posts (about 4,682 Medical Officers and 2,341 Community Medical Officers), aligning with district populations to ensure accessible indigenous health services.

¶ 04 Recommendations: 1. Increase cadre vacancies in line with population needs. 2. Restrict or adjust university intake for indigenous medicine because: - Teaching hospitals and resources are limited; quality will drop with oversupply. - Academic and clinical standards risk declining. - Job opportunities are limited. 3. Over 2,400 graduates since A/L 2007 remain unemployed; only about 700 appointments were made in 2024–2025. Expedite the rest. 4. Indigenous medicine requires nature-centered, deep apprenticeships; it cannot be mass-produced through purely classroom models. Protect traditional knowledge when delivering education. 5. Promote indigenous medical services linked to tourism and exports to earn foreign exchange.

¶ 05 Please support rapid appointments for current and upcoming graduates and implement modern strategies to strengthen this vital sector. Thank you.