Medico-Legal Challenges and Ethical Boundaries in Panchakarma Practice: A Critical Review

Abstract

Panchakarma, the principal bio-purificatory therapy of Ayurveda, occupies a unique position in traditional and contemporary healthcare systems due to its invasive nature, individualized protocols, and physician-dependent execution. With the growing global acceptance of Ayurveda, Panchakarma has increasingly been practiced in hospitals, wellness centres, resorts, and medical tourism facilities. This expansion, while beneficial, has simultaneously exposed Panchakarma practice to significant medico-legal scrutiny and ethical challenges. Issues such as improper patient selection, inadequate informed consent, delegation of procedures to unqualified personnel, lack of standardization, commercialization, misleading claims, and poor documentation have resulted in adverse outcomes and legal disputes. This critical review comprehensively examines the medico-legal liabilities, ethical boundaries, statutory regulations, professional duties, patient rights, and risk mitigation strategies associated with Panchakarma practice. The article emphasizes the urgent need for ethical governance, legal literacy, standard operating procedures, and regulatory oversight to ensure patient safety, professional accountability, and sustainable growth of Panchakarma in modern healthcare.