Mumbai: Four major doctors’ organisations have warned of a complete closure of medical services across the state, including emergency as well as routine services, if the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) moves forward with the registration of homeopaths in modern medicine.The organisations include the state Indian Medical Association (IMA), the IMA-Junior Doctors Network, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), and the Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI). Speaking to the press on Tuesday, IMA representatives said the Bombay High Court’s decision on the matter is expected by mid-August and that the MMC could do well to wait rather than rushing the decision right now.“This case in the court began about 15 years ago. The hearing is in its final stages, and it is just a matter of weeks,” said Dr Shivkumar Utture, past IMA president and MMC member.The issue became a point of tussle between doctors and the state govt last year after the MMC was allowed to register homeopaths based on a one-year certificate course in pharmacology, effectively allowing them to practise modern medicine. The move had taken a backseat until now. IMA-JDN representative Dr Tithi Banerjee said a major risk of the move would be its impact on the well-being of common people. “There could be cases of medical negligence. We have been trained in this field for five years with continuous training in hospital set ups after that.”Dr Manjusha Giri, who was part of a group of IMA doctors who met with CM Devendra Fadnavis earlier in the day, said, “We have submitted a representation and have made it clear that the move would only lead to confusion among common people.”MARD president Dr Atharva Shinde pointed out that while abolishing the mandatory one-year bond service for fresh MBBS graduates, the government had itself acknowledged that there are not enough posts for the number of doctors graduating every year. He said 7,000 pass out every year while 4,000 are left to their fate. “There are adequate MBBS doctors in the state now, unlike before, who are even willing to work in rural setups. So justifications such as a shortage of doctors for the entry of homeopaths in modern medicine are not valid anymore.”
