Responsibilities:

1. Consulting visiting patients. The primary task of an Ayurvedic doctor is to examine patients. You will go ahead with a particular line of treatment or refer the patient to a super-speciality doctor if the disease is found to be outside the purview of Ayurveda. For example, if you suspect cancer in your patient, you should suggest sufficient oncological (study and treatment of tumours) support along with Ayurvedic treatment.

2. Obtaining consent from the patient. As an Ayurvedic doctor, you will have to obtain the consent of the patient before undertaking any surgical procedure. Similarly, you will also have to notify the presence of communicable disease in the patient and consent to proceed further.

3. Avoiding negligence and experimentation. Ayurvedic treatment might not cover all types of diseases. Therefore it is your duty not to neglect the need for advanced care or emergency medical attention. Besides, you should avoid experimentation on your patient as it can potentially risk the healing process. If you don’t find any solution to a particular ailment, you should not resort to “hit and trial” methods, rather you should refer the patient to a specialist instead.

4. Providing adequate guidance to patients. It is the duty of the Ayurvedic physician to give the patient all necessary instruction and information so that he/she gets a better understanding of the ailments. For example, as an Ayurvedic doctor, you will inform the patient about the treatment required and respect his/her right to get a second opinion as well as the right to seek alternative forms of treatment.

5. Keeping track and record of the health of patients. Patients treated may require regular meetings with the Ayurvedic doctor. Say you are treating someone who is suffering from a chronic stomach ailment. The patient might have to visit you multiple times for consultation. You will be expected to maintain a record of the treatment plan until its conclusion.