By Snehal Mutha

Copyright thehindu

Doctors across Maharashtra went on a 24-hour token strike on Thursday to protest against the State government’s decision to allow homeopathy practitioners with Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) to register with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC).

Nearly 1.8 lakh doctors from government medical colleges, State-run hospitals, and private healthcare institutions in Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Nagpur, and other districts participated in the strike, said Dr. Santosh Kadam, president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Maharashtra.

The protesters opposed the notification dated September 11 issued by the MMC, a State body that regulates the registration and practice of modern scientific medicine. They argued that a one-year bridge course cannot replace the “rigorous 5.5 years of MBBS training followed by postgraduate residency” and that the notification “dilutes the standards of modern medicine and puts patients directly at risk, especially in emergencies”.

“If they [homeopaths] are also given MMC registration numbers, then the public will be misled about their doctor’s qualifications and unable to distinguish between a trained MBBS/MD and a short-course practitioner. This lack of transparency is dangerous and unfair to patients,” said Dr. Suyash Dhavane, who practises at Nagpur Government Medical College and participated in the stir in Mumbai.

It was jointly organised by the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors(MARD), Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI), and IMA, with support extended byfrom the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), Maharashtra State Medical Teachers Association (MSMTA), and Maharashtra Government Medical Officers Association(MAGMO).

Over 500 doctors from the IMA participated in the protest in Thane. It started from Rajiv Gandhi Medical College and proceeded to the Collector’s Office, demanding a stay on the MMC order. During the protest, Dr. Kadam criticised the government for allowing homeopaths to practise modern medicine despite having their own homeopathy council. “This is injustice to MBBS doctors and patients,” he said.

Several doctors’ associations claim that the MMC’s move is in “violation” of the established medical regulatory framework. However, a senior official from the State Medical Education Department said “everything is happening as per the law” and the MMC is following instructions. “The concerns of allopathy doctors are being heard and a meeting is scheduled with the Chief Minister to discuss the matter,” the official said.

A delegation comprising representatives from FAIMA, MARD, and ASMI met NCP MP Supriya Sule, BJP MLA Ashish Shelar, and the Principal Secretary of the Medical Education Department to present their demands and reiterate the medical fraternity’s united stand.

Challenged in court

The State government had amended the Maharashtra Homoeopathic Practitioners’ Act and the Maharashtra Medical Council Act in 2014, permitting homeopathy practitioners with CCMP to register with the MMC as “medical practitioners”. The CCMP was started based on a government resolution issued on September 13, 2014 and was conducted under the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik. The IMA then challenged the amendments in the Bombay High Court in 2014.

Protests broke out on June 30 this year when the MMC issued a notification allowing homeopathy doctors with CCMP to prescribe allopathy medicines from July 15. Doctors termed the move “illegal”, “illogical”, and “detrimental to public health”.

The Maharashtra Medical Education and Drugs Department stayed the notification after the IMA announced a one-day strike on July 11. The department then constituted a seven-member special committee to thoroughly examine the implications of the move of allowing homeopaths with CCMP certification to practise modern medicine.

The MMC issued a fresh circular on September 11 announcing the launch of a portal for the registration of homeopaths with CCMP from Wednesday.

The IMA on Tuesday announced a State-wide protest against the move.

Dr. Akshay Dongardive, National President of FAIMA, said the “demand is clear and non-negotiable” and urged the government to respond urgently to avoid escalation of the protest.

The MSRDA termed the move an “erosion of medical standards” and “public trust”. “Can clinical exposure truly equip a homeopathy doctor as modern medicine is more than memorising drug names: it is about comprehensive understanding of pathophysiology, pharmacodynamics, clinical diagnosis, investigative interpretation, and individualized patient care,” it stated.

A total of 33 colleges provide the CCMP course across Maharashtra, with 17 being private colleges.

Dr. Bahubali Shah, spokesperson of the Maharashtra Council of Homoeopathy, said about 1,100 homeopathy doctors have registered with the MMC after the notification was issued. “A total of 9,160 homeopathy doctors with CCMP will register and practise legally,” he said.

On the protest, he said, “Everyone has the right to protest, but if they want things to happen as per their will and don’t want to follow the rules and law, then so be it.”