Token strike on July 11, more later: IMA leads protest against Maharashtra decision to let homeopaths practise modern medicine with bridge course

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) is planning a token strike on July 11 in response to a new Maharashtra government order allowing homeopathy practitioners who complete a one-year bridge course in pharmacology to register and practise modern medicine.

The IMA has garnered support from various other medical associations and plans further protests if the government does not revoke the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC)’s order that lets Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) practitioners who complete the Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) to register with the MMC from July 15. The Maharashtra Senior Resident Doctors’ Association (MSRDA) has also strongly opposed the government’s decisions emphasising the inadequate training of homeopathic practitioners in modern medicine.

Meanwhile, the administrator of the Maharashtra Council of Homeopathy (MCH), which has 91,000 affiliated homeopathic practitioners, threatened a hunger strike, alleging that the IMA is misleading the public about the qualifications of homeopathic practitioners.

Speaking to Mahaenews , Dr Sanjay Patil, chairman of the IMA’s Hospital Board of India (Maharashtra), said, “We are even planning a ‘Chalo Mumbai’ protest on July 19 if the state is not responsive to our demands. Hence, the next two days are crucial as we have sent a letter to the chief minister to withdraw the decision to register homeopathic practitioners as modern medicine practitioners.” Patil was referring to a representation made on July 8 to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis through Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi.

Dr Sunil Ingale, president, IMA Pune, said, “This decision is dangerous and directly jeopardises public health. This is a one-year bridge course designed for homeopathy doctors and provides a limited amount of basic knowledge of pharmacology and medicine, and it is in no way equivalent to the average 5.5-year MBBS degree course.”

“If such doctors are recognised as modern medicine practitioners, then ordinary patients will be confused,” Dr Ingale added.

According to IMA office bearers, in emergencies, incorrect medication, wrong diagnosis, and surgical ignorance may endanger a patient’s life. They also said the government’s decision to issue an order while the matter is still pending in court can potentially constitute contempt of court. The IMA filed a petition in February 2025 before the Bombay High Court regarding the potential registration of homeopathic doctors with the MMC.

In a statement, the IMA said, “Doctors trained in MBBS are fully trained in scientific and evidence-based treatment methods. Whereas the education of BHMS doctors is completely based on homeopathy and they do not get scientific education in modern medicines, surgery, emergency medical management.”

The IMA’s protest plans have been supported by doctors’ associations, including Pune Radiology Association, Society of Anaesthesiologists, Pune, Orthopaedic Association, Pune Radiology and Imaging Association, Indian Pathology Association, Physicians of India, Pune Obstetric and Gynaecological Society, Pune, Pune Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine and others.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by Dr Abhijit Helge, president of the MSRDA, said, “This decision amounts to an unacceptable dilution of the scientific and clinical standards that define modern medicine. It is a profound disservice to thousands of MBBS and postgraduate doctors who have undergone a minimum of 8–12 years of rigorous, evidence-based training. Can six months of rudimentary exposure to pharmacology genuinely equip a homeopathic practitioner to prescribe allopathic drugs safely?”

Modern medicine is not merely about memorising drug names, and it requires a deep understanding of pathophysiology, pharmacokinetics, clinical decision-making, diagnostic interpretation, and personalised treatment, it said.

“To allow such cross-over from a fundamentally different system of medicine via a shortcut is not just dangerous — it is medically indefensible,” the statement added.

Countering the IMA, Dr Bahubali Shah, MCH administrator, said, “This is not a new decision and is as per the amendment made in 2014 in the MMC Act to register CCMP-qualified doctors in the body. So far, 9,160 homeopathy doctors have completed the CCMP course. The MMC should have implemented the decision a long time ago.”

Shah said he plans to undertake a hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Mumbai from July 16 if the IMA continues with “false narratives”. He said he has given notice to the police station concerned.