The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has strongly opposed the Maharashtra government’s recent decision to permit BHMS graduates who have completed the Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) to register with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC), warning that it may launch a nationwide strike if the order is not withdrawn.
In a letter addressed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on August 5, the IMA described the August 3 Government Resolution (GR) as “illegal” and demanded its immediate cancellation. The association argued that the move compromises medical education standards, violates established legal principles, and could adversely affect patient safety.
The dispute arises from the state government’s decision to create a separate register for CCMP-qualified BHMS practitioners under the MMC. According to the IMA, the CCMP cannot be considered equivalent to formal training in modern medicine and should be discontinued. The association maintained that practitioners trained in one system of medicine should not be allowed to practice another system without obtaining the requisite qualifications and registrations.
The doctors’ body also raised concerns over the possibility of practitioners holding registrations under multiple medical councils, stating that such a precedent does not exist elsewhere in the country and could create confusion among patients regarding a doctor’s qualifications and scope of practice.
The IMA further noted that the matter is currently under judicial consideration before the Bombay High Court, where amendments to the Maharashtra Medical Council Act have been challenged. It argued that the government should refrain from implementing registrations until the court delivers its verdict.
Rejecting the state’s justification that the move is necessary to address healthcare workforce shortages in rural areas, the IMA said Maharashtra no longer faces the same level of shortage of allopathic doctors as when similar provisions were introduced years ago. The association pointed to the discontinuation of the compulsory rural service bond for MBBS graduates as evidence that vacant medical posts are no longer a major concern.
The association also emphasized that equating MBBS graduates, who undergo extensive full-time medical education and clinical training, with practitioners who complete a short-term CCMP programme would be unfair to students pursuing modern medicine.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Poonam Verma vs Ashwin Patel case (1996), the IMA reiterated that practitioners registered under one recognised system of medicine cannot prescribe medicines or practice another system without recognised qualifications in that discipline.
The IMA has warned that if the Government Resolution remains in force and the CCMP programme continues, it will organize a nationwide protest involving modern medicine practitioners, medical students, resident doctors, and interns across the country. Copies of its representation have also been sent to the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, Union Health Minister, and the National Medical Commission.
