Services hit as Maharashtra resident doctors begin strike over registration of homoeopaths

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) launched an indefinite strike over the government's decision permitting homoeopaths to register under the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) and prescribe allopathic medicines.

The impact of the agitation was felt in OPD (outpatient department) services in medical colleges across the state and those run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

Doctors at the Sir JJ Hospital and Grant Medical College here protested on their premises, raising slogans against the government's decision.


The MMC issued a notification on June 30 permitting homoeopaths to prescribe modern medicines after completing a six-month Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP).

Also read: Maharashtra resident doctors to go on indefinite strike from August 5

The MARD has demanded the immediate suspension of the BHMS-CCMP (Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery-Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology) registration process until the final court verdict.

The organisation alleged that despite multiple rounds of discussions with the government and authorities concerned, it had not received a proper assurance regarding the implementation of the BHMS-CCMP policy.

"The strike commenced at midnight. We will observe the developments today. If the government doesn't initiate a dialogue, we will shut down emergency services after 24 hours," Central MARD president Atharva Shinde told PTI on Wednesday.

Shinde added that the strike was observed in 32 medical colleges and those run by the BMC.

"Our opposition is to the law. There should be no cross-pathy and mixopathy. The Maharashtra government should prioritise services to patients.

"If they (homoeopaths) have pursued education of 5.5 years and get allopathy licence after simply doing a course...it is akin to giving a person a firearm licence and allow him to use weapons indiscriminately," Shinde added.

In Nagpur, resident doctors skipped OPD work at Government Medical College and Research Hospital (GMCH) and Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMC). They staged demonstrations on the hospital premises, holding placards and banners.

Similar scenes were witnessed in government medical colleges across the Vidarbha regions.

Dr Asustosh Ade, general secretary of Central MARD, told PTI that resident doctors abstained from OPD services on Wednesday. He warned that the resident doctors would withdraw from emergency services from midnight on Wednesday if their demands were not met.

He said that the life-threatening cases will be attended to, and the rest will have to be managed by the respective hospital administration.

MARD claimed that around 450 resident doctors of IGGMC and 800 resident doctors from GMCH withdrew from OPD services on Wednesday.

MARD had said in a statement on Tuesday that while emergency and casualty services would continue during the initial 24 hours in the interest of patient safety, all OPD services, routine duties, and academic activities at government medical college hospitals in all districts will remain suspended.

The Indian Medical Association, BMC MARD, Maharashtra State Resident Doctors Association, Association of State Medical Interns, Maharashtra Association of Gazetted Medical Officers' Group-A, and Maharashtra State Medical Teachers Association have extended their full support to the statewide indefinite agitation called by Central MARD.

In the absence of a clear legal and regulatory framework, and with the matter currently pending before the courts, Central MARD has decided to commence a statewide indefinite strike from midnight on August 5, the organisation said in a statement on Tuesday.

It has demanded that there should be no implementation or registration under the BHMS-CCMP framework without a comprehensive, legally sound, transparent, and scientifically validated regulatory mechanism.

It had also asked the state government to address the long-pending issues of resident doctors across Maharashtra.

During the first 24 hours, resident doctors will continue to provide emergency and casualty services for patient safety, while OPD services, elective procedures, routine duties, and academic activities will remain suspended.

In the absence of a positive resolution, from August 6 onwards, all resident doctor services, including emergency services, will be withdrawn until further directions from Central MARD, the statement said.