Maharashtra halts homeopathy doctors’ registration with medical council as modern medicine practitioners

Maharashtra has temporarily stopped the registration of homeopathic doctors as modern medicine practitioners with the Maharashtra Medical Council following safety concerns raised by the Indian Medical Association.

The decision comes in the wake of Indian Medical Association’s (Maharashtra State Association) letter to the Maharashtra government on Tuesday, stating that there will be a “threat” to the health of the people and the lives of the patients if homeopathic medical practitioners are allowed to practise modern medicine.

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Under the Maharashtra Act 19 of 2014, amendments were made to the Maharashtra Homeopathic Practitioners Act, 1959, and to the Maharashtra Medical Council Act, 1965, to allow homeopathic doctors in the state to practise modern medicine after completing a certificate course in modern pharmacology (CCMP).

The homeopathic doctors who completed CCMP were allowed to practise allopathy in a limited modern classical medical system.

Homeopathy doctors: Maharashtra forms panel

The Maharashtra government has appointed a study committee to gather views from both the modern medicine field as well as the homeopathic field, and has asked it to submit a report within two months. The members of the study committee are:

• Committee Chairperson: Commissioner, Directorate of medical education, research and AYUSH, Mumbai
• Member: Pro vice chancellor, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences
• Member: Director, Directorate of medical education, and research
• Member: Director, Directorate of AYUSH
• Member: Manager, Maharashtra Medical Council
• Member Secretary: Manager, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences

The Maharashtra government has directed the Maharashtra Medical Council to immediately stop the registration process of homeopathy practitioners until the team’s reports on the 2014 decision are declared.