Pune: Regular healthcare services resumed at city hospitals by Thursday evening after the state chapter of Indian Medical Association and Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors called off their strike following the high court’s intervention in the imbroglio over allowing trained homeopaths practice modern medicine in the state.There was a lukewarm response to the strike in the city earlier in the day, while Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) did not proceed with registering homeopaths with Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) after the solo registration. Govt and private hospitals reported regular services in outpatient (OPD) and inpatient departments (IPD).Dr H K Sale, president of Association of Hospitals and executive director at Noble Hospitals, said, “Patient care is paramount for us. We observed the protest in a responsible manner without compromising with patient care. All essential healthcare services continued seamlessly, while we remained in solidarity with the IMA on this important issue.”OPD and IPD operations remained normal at Pune Municipal Corporation-run Kamala Nehru Hospital. Regular medical services were provided at state-run Sassoon General Hospital also.Dr Yellapa Jadhav, the medical superintendent of Sassoon hospital, said, “Most of our resident doctors returned to work by afternoon, so medical services remained unhampered. Major and minor surgeries were conducted and deliveries were as usual. Our OPD and IPD services were also normal.”Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), BJ Medical College chapter, in a statement in the evening said the strike undertaken as a part of the statewide movement against the proposed CCMP-BHMS registration had been called off with immediate effect. The IMA Maharashtra chapter’s statement read, “Respecting the appeal made by the honourable Acting Chief Justice, we have decided to suspend our agitation.”It said, “The court has directed the Govt of Maharashtra to immediately implement the Government Resolution issued on Aug 3 in letter and spirit. Accordingly, a committee should be constituted to establish an SOP for registration of BHMS-CCMP practitioners. It must include all stakeholders, including resident doctors and representatives of the IMA.”The IMA, Maharashtra chapter, statement further read, “The court has directed that the pending petition concerning the legislation for registration of Maharashtra homeopathy graduates in the MMC be heard on a day-to-day basis on Aug 13 and 14, and be disposed of at the earliest.”
