Maharashtra doctors strike: 1.8 lakh medics protest homeopathy practitioners' MMC registration

Doctors across Maharashtra observed a 24-hour token strike on Thursday, protesting the State government’s decision to allow homeopathy practitioners with a Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) to register with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC). The strike saw participation from nearly 1.8 lakh doctors in government medical colleges, State-run hospitals, and private healthcare institutions across Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Nagpur, and other districts, according to Dr. Santosh Kadam, president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Maharashtra.

The protest was against a notification issued by the MMC, a State body regulating the registration and practice of modern scientific medicine, on September 11. Doctors argued that a one-year bridge course cannot replace the “rigorous 5.5 years of MBBS training followed by postgraduate residency”. They said 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 practices at Nagpur Government Medical College and participated in the strike in Mumbai.

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

In Thane, over 500 doctors from the IMA participated in a protest that began at Rajiv Gandhi Medical College and proceeded to the Collector’s Office, demanding a stay on the MMC order. 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 have claimed 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 that 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.

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

Protests broke out earlier this year on June 30, 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 that notification after the IMA announced a one-day strike on July 11. The department then constituted a seven-member special committee to examine the implications of allowing homeopaths with CCMP certification to practise modern medicine.

The MMC issued a fresh circular on September 11, announcing the launch of a registration portal for such practitioners, triggering the latest strike. The issue remains pending in court, with doctors demanding a stay on the September 11 notification.