Pune: The state chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has escalated its opposition to the proposed Maharashtra Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2026, and said it would launch a statewide strike, boycott all govt healthcare schemes and surrender hospitals’ registrations if the legislation was passed without prior consultation with the medical fraternity.IMA president of the Maharashtra chapter Dr Santosh Kulkarni said, “If the govt attempts to pass the act without consulting doctors’ associations, we — the doctors of Maharashtra — will surrender our hospital registrations and go on an indefinite strike. The state will be responsible for any disruption of healthcare services arising from such a move. We have been repeatedly seeking a dialogue with the chief minister and the health minister, but received no meaningful response.”In its statement on Monday, the IMA said it was not opposed to regulation of clinical establishments or introduction of a legal framework for registration and quality standards. Instead, its objection was to “the govt’s attempt to enact a law with far-reaching consequences,” without extensive consultation with stakeholders. The association urged the state to refer the bill to a joint legislative committee or another appropriate legislative panel for detailed scrutiny.The proposed legislation was presented in the ongoing monsoon session. The IMA said it would significantly impact thousands of small and medium hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and daycare centres, particularly in rural and semi-urban regions. The association feared that several provisions would make it difficult for smaller healthcare facilities to remain operational, ultimately affecting the availability and affordability of medical services.The IMA’s strongest objection was to the lack of meaningful representation of practising doctors and private healthcare providers in the regulatory authorities proposed under the bill. The IMA said this would undermine fairness and lead to impractical decision-making. It has demanded that representatives of medical associations and smaller hospitals be given a substantial role in the councils and appellate authorities established under the legislation.The association has also questioned the exclusion of govt and military hospitals from the bill’s ambit. It said, “Patient safety, quality standards and accountability should apply uniformly across all healthcare institutions, irrespective of ownership. Exempting public sector hospitals, while imposing stringent compliance requirements on private establishments, will create an uneven regulatory environment and amount to discrimination.”The IMA expressed concern over excessive regulatory powers proposed under the bill, including stringent infrastructure norms, severe financial penalties, cancellation of registrations and multiple layers of administrative oversight. It said these provisions could revive an “Inspector Raj” system, placing disproportionate pressure on smaller hospitals that already operate with limited resources. Such measures would increase treatment costs, discourage private practitioners from working in smaller towns and weaken rural healthcare delivery.The association’s another major concern was emergency care obligations. While supporting the principle that hospitals should provide emergency treatment, the IMA said such responsibilities must be aligned with the infrastructure, specialist availability and equipment available at each institution. Kulkarni said, “Compelling healthcare facilities to manage emergencies beyond their capacity will compromise patient safety and expose doctors to legal risks.”The IMA has also objected to provisions that would require existing registered hospitals to seek fresh recognition under the new law. It has demanded that legally operating establishments be granted continuity of registration, transitional safeguards and adequate time to comply with revised standards.The Maharashtra IMA appealed directly to the CM and the health minister and said it was open to engage in constructive discussions.
