Maharashtra’s healthcare services are set to face major disruption on September 18, as around 4,000 medical officers, over one lakh allopathic doctors affiliated with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), and thousands of resident doctors from state-run medical colleges have declared a 24-hour token strike.
The protest is against the state government’s move to register BHMS-CCMP practitioners under the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC). Along with medical officers, a large number of medical consultants are also joining the agitation.
The IMA had first announced the one-day strike last week, and since then several associations, including the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), have pledged support. On September 16 evening, the Association of Medical Officers (AMO) issued a statement confirming its participation, saying: “Government doctors under our organization extend full support to the one-day strike announced by the IMA. Our duty is not just to treat patients but to protect the larger interests of public health.”
The Association of Medical Consultants (AMC) too formally backed the strike through a letter to IMA President Dr. Santosh Kadam, urging members, hospitals, and clinics to fully participate in the shutdown.
With multiple organizations coming together, the 24-hour strike scheduled from 8 am on September 18 to 8 am on September 19 is expected to delay planned surgeries and severely affect healthcare delivery across the state.
