In response to mounting protests from the medical fraternity, the Maharashtra government has announced the formation of a high-level committee to review its notification that allows homeopathy practitioners to register with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) upon completion of the Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP).
The move comes after the Indian Medical Association (IMA), along with several other medical organisations, raised serious concerns over the June 30 government notification. The circular permitted homeopathy practitioners who completed the bridge course to register with the MMC starting July 15, a step that many feared would legally enable them to practice modern medicine.
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Following intense lobbying and a meeting late Thursday night between IMA representatives and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the state issued a circular on Friday suspending the registration process. The IMA subsequently withdrew its call for a symbolic strike.
āOur core concern is patient safety. Registering homeopathy practitioners under the MMC gives them legal ground to prescribe allopathic medicines ā a move that could compromise healthcare standards,ā said Dr Santosh Kadam, President of IMA Maharashtra. He also confirmed that the IMA had earlier filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court on this matter.
The new committee, headed by the Commissioner of Medical Education, will include key stakeholders such as the registrar of the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, representatives from the Maharashtra Medical Council, Maharashtra Homeopathy Council, and other relevant bodies. The panel will examine the implications of the CCMP course and the legitimacy of allowing its graduates to be registered with the MMC.
Medical professionals, including members of the Maharashtra Senior Resident Doctorsā Association and former MMC chairman Dr Shivkumar Uttare, had also questioned whether a brief bridge course could adequately train homeopathy practitioners in modern pharmacology and allopathic protocols.
