Maharashtra resident doctors' strike continues over BHMS-CCMP registration policy; HC takes up matter

The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) will hold a press conference at 3 pm today to discuss the status of the ongoing strike by resident doctors over the BHMS-CCMP registration policy. The Bombay High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the doctors' strike.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad while registering the suo motu PIL, asked all stakeholders to be present for hearing the matter in detail.

The indefinite strike comes after the government's decision allowing homoeopaths to register under the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) and prescribe modern medicines after completing a six-month Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP).

MMC notified on June 30 that homoeopaths can prescribe allopathic medicines after completing a six-month CCMP.

However, MARD and other resident doctors’ associations demanded immediate suspension of the Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery-Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (BHMS-CCMP) registration process until the final court verdict.

MARD’s press conference

The press conference will discuss the current status of the statewide protest and details of the phase-wise agitation being undertaken across Maharashtra. It will also highlight Central MARD’s key demands and the issues concerning resident doctors.

The press conference will be held today at 3 pm at Mumbai Press Club, Mumbai.

As per a PTI report, MARD claimed that around 450 resident doctors of IGGMC and 800 resident doctors from GMCH withdrew from OPD services on August 5.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), BMC MARD, Maharashtra State Resident Doctors Association, Association of State Medical Interns, Maharashtra State Medical Teachers Association and other groups have extended their full support to the strike.

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MMC registration to homeopathy practitioners

According to ANI reports, on the resident doctors' strike in BMC hospitals, the president of the JJ Hospital MARD, Vinayak Shah, said that we don't support the idea of an individual attaining the status of a doctor by merely completing one year of CCMP, a qualification associated with the MBBS degree.

“We also vehemently oppose their registration with the MMC. We demand that the government scrap the CCMP course. Currently, a strike is underway across all government medical colleges in Maharashtra. We will continue to provide emergency services for the first 24 hours; however, if we do not receive a positive response by tomorrow, we may decide to halt emergency services as well, starting August 6," Shah adds.

On the other hand, the Integrated Doctors Association president Amol Ambekar says, "Whatever MARD and IMA are doing is unconstitutional and unethical. These actions create difficulties for the common people and the general public, causing them continuous problems."

The resident doctors’ strike is being observed in around 32 medical colleges across the state as well as those run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.