Mumbai: The first committee meeting to address concerns of medical negligence by homeopaths and assess their scope of work was held on Monday at the Directorate of Medical Education & Research (DMER). The committee is also looking to form an ethical framework for the same after homeopaths were granted registrations with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) — effectively allowing them to prescribe modern medicines based on a one-year certificate course — which triggered mass doctor protests last week.Only one such homeopath has been registered with MMC so far. The committee includes Anil Bhandari, commissioner of Medical Education and Research, as the chairperson, alongside Dr Jayesh Lele as the technical member nominated by the DMER, representing the Indian Medical Association; homeopathic council administrator Bahubali Shah as another nominated technical member; MUHS registrar Dr Rajendra Shivaji Bangal; Maharashtra Medical Council registrar Dr Rakesh Waghmare, and registrar of the homoeopathic council.Dr Lele said, “As this was the first meeting, it would be too premature to disclose the details of it at this stage.”However, IMA president Dr Santosh Kulkarni said concerns were raised over the vast medicines that Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) covers. He said, “There is everything cramped in a short course, including cancer medicines. This was brought up in the meeting and further details on this course were asked from MUHS to determine the depth of it.”He added IMA’s representation in this committee is still to pushback against inclusion of homeopaths in modern medicines, “Being a part of the committee to decide scope of their work does not mean we are accepting the decision.”Homeopathic council administrator, Bahubali Shah, did not wish to comment. Meanwhile, Dr Waghmare, said, “We will have a few more meetings and then the committee will submit its report within a month to the government.”
