Mumbai: With the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) set to resume homoeopathic registrations on Monday, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) says it has rallied resident doctors in states like Karnataka, Goa, and Telangana. Protests are expected to spread across other parts of the country in the coming days with social media content driving public engagement.The registrations with MMC allow homoeopaths to start prescribing complex modern medicines based on a one-year certificate course. These started earlier this month but were stopped due to a technical glitch after one Mankhurd-based homoeopath was granted registration.By August 18, the department of medical education paused these registrations, taking into consideration the strike by MARD and IMA over the dangers of homeopaths prescribing allopathic medicines. However, by Aug 20, it took a U-turn and withdrew that pause after homoeopaths held discussions with medical education secretary Dhiraj Kumar.Dr Atharva Shinde, MARD president, said the association has reached out to resident doctors across multiple states who have expressed their support for the cause. He said each of these associations would be holding meetings with their respective ministers to not allow for replication of the what is happening in Maharashtra elsewhere. “How the situations evolves in the state could lead to protests by resident doctors in the other states,” he said.Historically, strikes by MARD have been impactful, with the govt eventually accepting their demands as OPDs and elective surgeries across govt medical colleges came to a halt. However, earlier this month, when the court took suo-motu cognisance of their strike, it ordered the association to withdraw it and decided to examine whether doctors have the right to strike in the first place.Meanwhile, one of the homeopaths has even claimed he would self-immolate if registrations are not granted on Monday.As MARD cannot strike in view of court orders, Dr Shinde said their other option now includes a social media campaign where they would attempt to reach out to a younger audience, trying to make them understand how changes in the medical system would impact them.MARD representatives said meetings with medical education secretary Dhiraj Kumar have only yielded rude remarks. Kumar remained unavailable for comment. However, earlier he told TOI that the pause on registration was a mistake by his department, made without the Secretary’s approval and causing more confusion.
