IMA warns of strike in Maharashtra on Sep 18 over registration of homeopaths

Mumbai, Sep 12 (PTI) The Indian Medical Association (IMA)'s Maharashtra chapter has warned of a strike on September 18 if the state government does not withdraw its fresh notification on registration of homeopathic doctors who have completed certificate course in modern pharmacology.

Earlier this year, the state government directed the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to register homeopaths who had completed the one-year Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP), allowing such practitioners to prescribe allopathic medicines to patients in select cases.

A fresh government resolution (GR) was issued in this regard on September 5. But the IMA, the apex body of allopathic doctors, is opposing CCMP-qualified homeopaths' registration with the MMC and has now threatened a one-day strike, arguing the move poses a serious threat to the quality of healthcare services and safety of patients.

"We request that the GR dated September 5 be withdrawn immediately. If the GR is not withdrawn, we will have to intensify our agitation, and go on a one-day state-wide token strike on September 18, with all healthcare services closed for 24 hours," IMA Maharashtra state president Dr Santosh Kadam said in a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Asserting only trained and qualified MBBS doctors should be granted licences for practising modern medicine (allopathy), the association asked the government not to implement any decision regarding the registration of homeopaths till a case in this regard pending in the Bombay High Court is adjudicated.

IMA Maharashtra members had earlier planned a strike on July 11, but deferred the stir until further notice after a meeting with the chief minister. However, the government issued a fresh circular on September 5, reviving the registration process.

"We had met the chief minister (in July) and explained to him about the issue and the government had withdrawn the registration notifications. As the matter is sub-judice, we don't understand why the Maharashtra government has reintroduced the registration of homeopathic doctors with the MMC," IMA national vice-president Shivkumar Utture told PTI on Friday.

He noted that in the letter to the CM, the doctors body has emphasised that this decision (registration of CCMP-certified homeopaths) poses a serious threat to the safety of patients and quality of healthcare services.

"We are writing to express our deep concern and strong objection to the recent circular issued by the Medical Education and Drugs Department, Government of Maharashtra, directing the Maharashtra Medical Council to register CCMP (Certificate Course in Modern Medicine and Surgery for Practitioners of Indian Systems of Medicine) passed homeopathic medical practitioners in the MMC," stated the letter.

The letter highlighted the association's main objections, including academic disparity, saying the MBBS course is 5.5 years long, covering 19 subjects, clinical experience, and a compulsory internship. On the other hand, CCMP is a one-year course with only two days of teaching per week, which is insufficient to develop the necessary knowledge, skills, and decision-making abilities in modern medicine.

It has risks to patient safety and allowing inadequately trained individuals to treat patients can lead to misdiagnosis, adverse reactions, antibiotic resistance, and patient deaths, especially in rural areas, the letter warned.

Registering CCMP-certificated doctors in the MMC would create a dual system, leading to confusion, misconceptions, and mistrust among people. It would also compromise the international credibility of Maharashtra's medical education and healthcare services, the association cautioned.

Further, allowing CCMP (homeopathic) doctors to register with the council would set a precedent for other alternative medicine practitioners to demand similar recognition, leading to chaos in the healthcare system and erosion of public trust, the IMA Maharashtra unit emphasised.

The MMC is a government body responsible for the registration, regulation, and ethical conduct of medical practitioners within Maharashtra. PTI SM RSY