Doctors oppose allowing homoeopaths with Pharmacology certificate to practice allopathy in Maharashtra

"This is absolutely wrong and we are against it as it will 'hoodwink' patients and dilute modern medical practices. Currently, the matter is subjudice, with a petition filed by IMA before Bombay High Court, which has issued a stay on this," Indian Medical Association (IMA) national vice president Shivkumar Utture told PTI.

Also Read:Homeopaths with Pharmacology certificate can practice allopathy, register with Medical Council- New rule in Maharashtra

In 2014, the state government amended Maharashtra Homoeopathic Practitioners Act and Maharashtra Medical Council Act 1965 and allowed homeopaths to prescribe modern medicines under certain conditions, he said.

The IMA challenged the amendments in the Bombay High Court, he added.

However, after this notification, he said, "We have to approach the court and ask it to expedite the matter".

"The notification undermines the statutory and ethical framework of MMC and will lead to confusion among patients," he added.

Raising serious concerns regarding the decision to register homoeopathic practitioners under the Maharashtra Medical Council, the Association of Medical Consultants (AMC), Mumbai, has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging him to revoke the said notification allowing CCMP-qualified homoeopathic doctors to register under MMC. Reinforce the legal sanctity of MMC as the exclusive regulatory authority for allopathic practitioners.

''Should this decision not be reversed, thousands of modern medicine practitioners across Maharashtra will be compelled to initiate peaceful but firm democratic protests, dharnas, and agitations to safeguard the dignity of our profession and ensure public safety,'' it further added.