Maharashtra medical fraternity opposes BHMS MMC registration, warns of statewide strike

Maharashtra: A coalition of allopathic doctors' organisations in the state has warned the state government of statewide protests, including the withdrawal of outpatient department (OPD) and emergency medical services, if it proceeds with granting Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) registration to Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) practitioners. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Maharashtra State, Central Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (Central MARD) and the IMA Junior Doctors Network (IMA JDN) Maharashtra have issued separate warnings opposing the proposed move.

They have cited concerns over patient safety, evidence-based medicine and the regulatory framework governing modern medical practice. In a press note issued on July 27, IMA Maharashtra State highlighted that some homeopathy doctors were seeking MMC registration through a sit-in protest. The association urged the Maharashtra government not to grant MMC registration to BHMS practitioners under such pressure. "We strongly condemn any such move. Such an act is illogical, unscientific, and likely to have an adverse impact on public health," the association said.

IMA Maharashtra State said it had coordinated with Central MARD, ASMI, MSN, JDN and other supporting medical organisations on the issue. If the government proceeds with the proposed decision, doctors across these organisations would immediately begin withdrawing medical services from the following morning. The association said the proposed agitation would include the suspension of OPD and emergency services.

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Decision can compromise patient safety: Central MARD

Central MARD also opposed any proposal to grant Maharashtra Medical Council registration to BHMS practitioners.The resident doctors' body said such a decision would "undermine the regulatory framework governing modern medicine, compromise patient safety and dilute the standards of evidence-based healthcare." It further said that registration with the Medical Council "must remain exclusive to those who have completed the prescribed education and training in modern scientific medicine" and argued that protests or pressure cannot become the basis for altering statutory norms. "For resident doctors across Maharashtra this is a matter of public interest, not professional rivalry," Central MARD said.

Expressing solidarity with IMA Maharashtra State, ASMI, MSN, JDN and other medical organisations, Central MARD urged the Maharashtra government to reject the proposal. The organisation also warned that if the government proceeds, resident doctors, in coordination with supporting medical organisations, would initiate statewide protest actions. It said these could include the withdrawal of OPD and emergency medical services.

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Doctors oppose proposed MMC registrations

IMA JDN Maharashtra, meanwhile, focused on the legal proceedings surrounding the proposed registrations. In a press release dated July 25, the organisation demanded the immediate suspension of the proposed Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) registration of BHMS-CCMP holders until the Bombay High Court delivers its verdict. The association said it fully supports the stand taken by IMA Maharashtra and urged the state government to keep the proposed registrations in abeyance while the matter remains sub judice.

According to the organisation, the final hearing before the Bombay High Court is scheduled for August 13 and 14, 2026. IMA JDN Maharashtra said there is no clear statutory framework governing the permanent or dual registration of BHMS-CCMP holders in the allopathic medical register and maintained that no registration should be granted until all legal issues are conclusively decided. The association further said that patient safety, scientific medical practice and the integrity of medical education must remain paramount while the legal process is underway.

The organisation also referred to the Maharashtra government's July 23, 2026 resolution abolishing compulsory MBBS government bond service. It said the resolution acknowledged that the state has an adequate number of MBBS doctors and questioned the continued need for the CCMP programme, calling for its comprehensive review and discontinuation. In a separate statement, Dr Indranil Deshmukh, National Secretary of IMA JDN, said the organisation, under the guidance of IMA Maharashtra State and other like-minded medical organisations, strongly opposes "any move that compromises patient safety and the standards of modern medical practice." He added that if the government proceeds with the proposed decision, doctors across these organisations would withdraw OPD and emergency services from the following morning. "Further details of the agitation will be announced soon," he said. They have jointly urged the Maharashtra government to reconsider the proposal and refrain from granting the registrations.