IMA Maharashtra Threatens Statewide Shutdown Over Homeopathy Doctors' MMC Registration

Key Points

• IMA Maharashtra has threatened a statewide shutdown over the registration of CCMP-qualified homeopathy doctors.

• The association says the move could compromise patient safety and promote cross-practice.

• BHMS doctors support the decision, seeking legal recognition through the Maharashtra Medical Council.

• The controversy has revived a long-running debate over homeopathy practitioners practising modern medicine.

• The Maharashtra government has formed an expert committee, but the dispute remains unresolved.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Maharashtra has threatened a statewide shutdown after the Maharashtra government decided to register Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP)-qualified homeopathy doctors with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC). The association announced its opposition on July 25, arguing that the decision could compromise patient safety and encourage cross-practice, while homeopathy practitioners have welcomed the move as long-awaited legal recognition.

The dispute, which stems from the state's implementation of provisions allowing eligible BHMS doctors to seek MMC registration, has reignited a long-running debate over the practice of modern medicine by non-MBBS practitioners.

The controversy stems from the Maharashtra government's decision to direct the Maharashtra Medical Council to register homeopathy doctors who have completed the Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP). Eligible practitioners would be entered into a separate register maintained by the council, a move the IMA says undermines established standards of medical education and clinical training.

IMA Maharashtra maintains that only doctors with an MBBS degree registered under the National Medical Commission framework should be allowed to practice modern medicine. The association argues that a certificate course cannot replace the years of education and supervised clinical training required to earn an MBBS qualification and has warned that the decision could create confusion for patients and compromise healthcare standards.

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According to TOI, the association has warned that it will intensify its agitation if the notification is not withdrawn, including a statewide shutdown of medical services. The announcement follows protests by IMA Maharashtra, which has consistently maintained that its opposition is based on patient safety concerns rather than professional rivalry.

According to the association, permitting CCMP-qualified homeopathy practitioners to register with the Maharashtra Medical Council could blur the distinction between practitioners trained in different systems of medicine.

The Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) is a bridge course introduced under amendments to Maharashtra law for eligible Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) graduates. The course provides training in aspects of modern pharmacology before eligible practitioners can seek registration under the Maharashtra Medical Council in accordance with the state's legal framework.

Supporters of the policy argue that registration formally recognizes practitioners who have completed the prescribed training. Opponents, however, contend that it effectively legitimizes cross-practice without the comprehensive education and clinical exposure provided through an MBBS programme.

The current dispute is part of a debate that has continued for more than a decade.

In 2014, Maharashtra amended provisions of the Maharashtra Homoeopathic Practitioners Act and the Maharashtra Medical Council Act, allowing eligible homeopathy practitioners who completed prescribed training to prescribe certain modern medicines. The decision has repeatedly been challenged by the Indian Medical Association, which argues that the amendments compromise patient safety and blur the distinction between different systems of medicine.

The issue has since resurfaced multiple times as governments and medical bodies have revisited the implementation of these provisions.

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Homeopathy practitioners and their representative organizations have defended the government's decision, saying CCMP-qualified doctors have been serving patients, particularly in rural and underserved areas, for years.

Earlier this month, homeopathy doctors staged protests and a hunger strike at Mumbai's Azad Maidan after the Maharashtra Medical Council suspended implementation of a previous notification related to their registration. The protest was later called off after the state government assured representatives that their concerns would be reviewed.

Homeopathy organizations have argued that practitioners who complete the prescribed bridge course should receive legal recognition under the state's framework.

The Maharashtra United Homoeopathic Doctors Front (MUHDF) has demanded that CCMP-qualified BHMS doctors be registered with the Maharashtra Medical Council, while the Homeopathy Integrated Medical Practitioners Association Maharashtra (HIMPAM) has defended the bridge course and supported MMC registration for eligible practitioners.

The issue has seen several policy developments in recent weeks.

Following objections from the Indian Medical Association and other allopathic medical bodies, the Maharashtra government temporarily paused implementation of an earlier notification and constituted an expert committee to examine the concerns raised by stakeholders.

Despite the government's review process, the dispute between the IMA and homeopathy practitioners remains unresolved.

(Rh/ARC/MSM)