IMA objects to implementation of Maharashtra Clinical Establishments Bill 2026, gives strike ultimatum

Mumbai: The Maharashtra State branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has warned of a statewide strike and a boycott of all Maharashtra Government healthcare schemes if the State Government passes the Maharashtra Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2026, during the ongoing legislative session without holding detailed consultations with the medical fraternity.

Regarding the implementation of the Maharashtra Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2026, the State unit of the IMA has clarified that while it does not oppose the implementation of the bill, it instead demanded that the government, before implementing it, hold comprehensive and wide-ranging discussions with the IMA and other medical associations.

The association issued a warning that if the Maharashtra Government passes the Bill during the ongoing legislative session without holding talks with the IMA and other medical associations, it will boycott all Maharashtra Government healthcare schemes and launch a statewide strike. The IMA added that the State Government would be solely responsible for any crisis arising from such action.

In a press release, the association stated that the proposed Bill will have far-reaching consequences on healthcare services across the state—particularly on small and medium hospitals, nursing homes, day-care centres, clinics, and the healthcare ecosystem in rural and semi-urban areas.

Therefore, instead of passing this Bill in haste, IMA indicated that it should be referred to a Joint Committee of the Legislature or an appropriate Legislative Committee for detailed scrutiny and extensive deliberation.

Listing its concerns, the IMA said the proposed regulatory bodies under the Bill should include adequate representation from practising doctors, representatives of small and medium hospitals, and medical associations.

"The councils, authorities, and appellate mechanisms to be established under this Bill must have adequate and effective representation of practicing doctors, representatives of small and medium hospitals, and relevant medical associations. Designing a regulatory framework without the active participation of the very professionals it applies to would be inherently unjust," mentioned the press note.

The association also objected to the exclusion of government and military hospitals from the Bill's purview. According to the association, standards related to patient safety, quality of care, transparency and accountability should apply equally to all healthcare institutions. It said exempting government-run hospitals while imposing strict regulations only on private healthcare facilities would create an imbalanced and discriminatory regulatory system.

Regarding the impact on small hospitals, the IMA said that unrealistic infrastructural criteria, severe penalties, coercive recoveries, sweeping powers to cancel registrations, and multi-layered administrative controls trigger legitimate fears of the return of "Inspector Raj."

"This will most severely impact small and medium hospitals, nursing homes, and rural healthcare services. Consequently, the cost of healthcare will escalate, and the accessibility of medical services in small towns will diminish, potentially causing the collapse of the rural healthcare system," IMA added.

The association further stated that the responsibility to provide emergency care should match the available infrastructure, manpower, specialist services and equipment at each clinical establishment. It also sought legal protection for doctors and hospitals providing emergency care in good faith.

"It is unfair to relegate hospitals that have been legally operating for years under valid registrations to a status of mere 'temporary' or 'provisional' registration under the new law. Existing establishments must be given clear transitional protection, continuous validity of their prior registrations, and a feasible, practical timeframe for compliance," it said.

Following this, the State IMA requested the Chief Minister and the Health Minister to hold discussions with the IMA and other medical associations regarding this Bill. It stated that passing the law without consultation would be undemocratic and unconstitutional.

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