Homeopath-Allopath Standoff: Private Hospital doctors stage 24-Hour protest
Nagpur: Several doctors from private hospitals, clinics and nursing homes across the city have staged a protest against the Maharashtra Medical Council's (MMC) decision to grant registration to homoeopathic practitioners who have completed the bridge course-Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP), allowing them to practice allopathy.
As part of the protest, private healthcare facilities are shut for 24 hours today. While outpatient departments (OPDs) are closed, emergency, maternity, ICU and ambulance services will continue as usual.
Extending support to the protesting doctors, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (Central MARD) has formally joined the protest. The association leaders have stated that a statewide agitation will be held if the government fails to withdraw the notification.
Medical Dialogues recently reported that the Maharashtra Senior Resident Doctors Association (MSRDA) strongly opposed the Maharashtra Medical Council's decision and urged the council to immediately withdraw the notification. They asserted that such a move is "medically indefensible, ethically unacceptable, and legally questionable." They argued that the move is an affront to thousands of allopathic doctors who have dedicated over a decade of their lives to intense, evidence-based medical training, from MBBS to post-graduation and beyond.
Also read- Homoeopath-Allopath Row: IMA defers strike after Maha CM intervenes
This comes after the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) issued a notification in this regard, officially permitting homoeopathic doctors to practice allopathic (modern) medicine, only after completing a bridge course-Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP). The move meant that homeopathic doctors can now prescribe allopathic medicines, and the CCMP course certificate will be considered a valid qualification for homoeopathic doctors to register themselves as 'Registered Medical Practitioner' (RMP) in the State Medical Register under the Maharashtra Medical Council. For this, the MMC will launch an online registration facility starting July 15, 2025, for eligible doctors.
Opposing the move, allopathic doctors firmly reiterated their demand for the revocation of the MMC notification. However, the council has not yet responded. As a result, the doctors staged a protest to voice their disapproval and to raise concerns about the potential risks it poses.
Commenting on this matter, Dr Pratik Debaje, president, Central MARD, told TOI, "This decision is outrageous, unconstitutional, and unethical. It insults the years of hard work and sacrifice of MBBS and resident doctors."
Expressing the same, Dr Rajesh Sawarbandhe, president, IMA Nagpur, said, "This is not merely a professional issue; it's a question of public health and patient safety. Equating a short-term CCMP course to MBBS is not only absurd but dangerous."
Dr Jitendra Sahu, hon secretary, IMA Nagpur, added, "We respect homeopathy as a distinct system. But allowing cross-practice under MMC's jurisdiction will dilute medical ethics and mislead patients."
Joining the fellow medical practitioners in their battle against cross-practice, the Association of Surgeons of India submitted a letter to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis demanding the withdrawal of the move, Uphold the sanctity of the MMC as the regulatory body solely for allopathic medical practitioners and Ensure that homeopathic practitioners continue to practice within the purview of their own council.
The association in their letter said, "We respect all branches of medicine, including homeopathy. However, each discipline must function within its defined regulatory boundaries. Crossover of practitioners from one system into another, without complete and accredited training, is legally, ethically, and clinically unjustifiable."
"The MMC is a statutory authority meant exclusively for registering and regulating qualified allopathic practitioners (MBBS and above). Any dilution of this mandate compromises its legal and ethical standing. Homeopathy is an entirely separate discipline, governed by the Maharashtra Council of Homeopathy. Its practitioners, despite undergoing a CCMP course, do not possess the foundational training, depth of clinical exposure, or competencies that MBBS graduates attain.
Authorizing individuals without complete training in modern medicine to practice within its domain poses significant risks to patient safety, quality of care, and public trust in the healthcare system. Such a move undermines the sanctity of the allopathic profession and may open the door to unqualified practices, thereby endangering both ethics and public health outcomes," the letter reads.
Homeopathy practitioners counterattack
Homeopathy practitioners have pushed back against the opposition from allopathic doctors, defending their right to practice modern medicine. The Homeopathic Integrated Medical Practitioners Association of Maharashtra (HIMPAM) strongly responded to the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) stand in a press conference held on Thursday at Patrakar Bhavan, Dhantoli.
Dr. Subhash Raut, president of HIMPAM Nagpur, pointed out that many resident medical officers (RMOs) in Nagpur’s hospitals are already homeopathic doctors. If they are allowed to work in hospitals then why deny registration under the Maharashtra Medical Council.
"If IMA doctors close their clinics, homeopathic doctors will continue serving patients during the strike. Nagpur has more than 500 modern medicine hospitals, and 90% of resident medical officers (RMOs) posted there are homeopathic doctors. If you're okay with RMOs being homeopaths, why deny them MMC registration to practice modern medicine?" Dr Raut questioned.
Further, he said, "We have completed the Modern Pharmacology Course, and many MBBS and BHMS subjects overlap. We are equivalent to modern medicine doctors and deserve MMC registration. Moreover, we are getting MMC registration in a separate register. We are not encroaching upon MBBS doctors' rights."
