BMC Doctors Suspend Routine OPDs in Protest Over Homoeopathy Doctors' Registration

Mumbai's municipal hospitals witnessed a disruption in routine outpatient department (OPD) services on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, as resident doctors began a protest against a recent government decision. The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has called for the withdrawal of routine OPD services to oppose the registration of homoeopathy doctors holding a Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC).

The protest is being held across Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) hospitals, including KEM Hospital, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College & General Hospital (Sion), BYL Nair Hospital, and Dr. R. N. Cooper Hospital. According to MARD, the action is a lawful and democratic expression of their concerns.

The dispute centres on the Maharashtra government's decision to begin granting MMC registration to Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) practitioners who have completed the CCMP. This certificate course is intended to provide homoeopathy doctors with training in modern pharmacology. The government's move effectively allows these practitioners to be registered with the same council that regulates allopathic doctors in the state.

MARD has opposed the decision, arguing that it dilutes established medical education standards and poses risks to patient safety. Dr. Shubham Solanke, President of MARD's KEM unit, said, "The move compromises the established medical education standards, professional integrity, and patient safety." He clarified that the opposition is specifically against cross-pathy and the dilution of modern medical education and regulatory standards, not against homoeopathy as a system of medicine.

The association has demanded that the MMC registration process for CCMP-qualified BHMS practitioners be suspended until the High Court delivers its final judgment on the matter. The issue is currently sub judice, and the doctors argue that any further action should await the court's verdict.

While routine OPDs are withdrawn, MARD has assured that emergency services, casualty, intensive care units, labour rooms, inpatient department (IPD) services, and all other essential services will continue to function without interruption. This is aimed at ensuring that patient care in critical situations is not affected.

In a statement, MARD warned that if the registration process is not halted within the next 24 hours, it will intensify its agitation and escalate the withdrawal of services through lawful and democratic means. The situation is likely to evolve as the deadline approaches, and both the government and the medical community await any further developments.