3 weeks ago
Maharashtra allows some homeopaths to prescribe modern drugs amid protests
Imagine two kinds of doctors: some study modern medicine, and others study homeopathy, a different way of treating illness.
In Maharashtra, a state in India, the government made a rule that lets homeopathic doctors who finish a special one-year class also give modern medicines.
A doctor named Neha Siddharth Pawar was the first one to get this new permission.
Many regular doctors got upset and went on strike, stopping work for a while to protest.
A big court called the Bombay High Court stepped in and asked them to go back to work.
The rule was made back in 2014 to help with a shortage of doctors.
But some experts say it is not a good idea because doctors should stick to what they studied.
They also worry it could spread to other states and might not help people living in villages.
For now, the argument is still being decided in court.
Dr Neha Siddharth Pawar, 36, became the first homeopathy practitioner in Maharashtra registered with the allopathic Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) after completing the Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP).
The registration follows a 2014 amendment to the Maharashtra Medical Commission Act, which remains challenged in court and is still sub judice.
Doctors across Maharashtra went on strike in protest but called it off after the Bombay High Court intervened.
The National Commission for Homeopathy (NCH) opposes the move, calling it a shortcut for students who want modern medicine but cannot get into those courses.
Critics say the change could spread to other states, conflicts with Supreme Court rulings against 'mixopathy', and will not solve the shortage of doctors in rural areas.
- Who
- Dr Neha Siddharth Pawar, the first homeopathy practitioner registered with the Maharashtra Medical Council, opposed by modern medicine practitioners, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors, and the National Commission for Homeopathy.
- What
- Maharashtra allowed homeopaths who completed a one-year Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology to be registered with the allopathic medical council and prescribe modern medicines.
- Where
- Maharashtra, India.
- When
- The registration was granted in the week before the doctors' strike; the enabling amendment dates to 2014.
- Why
- The government cited a shortage of doctors and the goal of 'Health for All', though officials said the push originally came from homeopathy colleges seeking to expand their courses.
Supporters of the move
Opponents of the move
Homeopaths prescribing allopathic medicines
Supporters of the move
The move helps achieve 'Health for All' by addressing the state's doctor shortage and requires a one-year bridge course in modern pharmacology before registration.
Opponents of the move
It revives 'mixopathy' that the Supreme Court has rejected in cases such as Poonam Verma vs Ashwin Patel, could allow one person to be registered with two councils, and creates a shortcut for students who could not enter MBBS.
Solving the rural doctor shortage
Supporters of the move
The 2014 amendment's stated purpose was the continuous demand from society and the need of the people of the state for more doctors.
Opponents of the move
Most of the 10,000 CCMP graduates are from bigger cities and are unlikely to serve villages; the rural bond policy was removed because there were no rural vacancies, so the cited shortage no longer exists.
Spread to other states
Supporters of the move
Central regulations grant states the power to allow homeopaths to practise allopathy under certain conditions, and the move reflects state autonomy.
Opponents of the move
The National Commission for Homeopathy says such allowances must be narrow, time-bound, or for adverse events like the Covid-19 pandemic, not open-ended as Maharashtra has done, and Madhya Pradesh has already requested a similar allowance.
Key facts
- First registered homeopath
- Dr Neha Siddharth Pawar, 36
- Bridge course
- One-year Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP)
- Legal basis
- 2014 amendment to the Maharashtra Medical Commission Act
- Course completers
- Around 10,000 people have passed the CCMP course
- Legal status
- Amendment challenged in court; matter sub judice with no interim stay
- Protest
- Doctors' strike called off after Bombay High Court intervention
- Opponents
- Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors, Indian Medical Association figures, National Commission for Homeopathy
Quotes
Dr Tarakeshwar Jain
Chairperson, National Commission for Homeopathy
“"Medical practitioners should work in the respective ‘pathies’ that they have trained in — a pathway such as this will only create a shortcut for students who want to study modern medicine but cannot get through into those courses."”
indianexpress.com
“"When a Bill on the subject seemed imminent, the department of medical education intervened and said there should at least be a one‑year bridge course in modern pharmacology."”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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