Homoeopathy practitioners begin hunger strike for registration under MMC

MUMBAI: 300 homeopathic practitioners began a hunger strike at Azad Maidan, protesting the withdrawal of their registration under the Maharashtra Medical Council.

MUMBAI: As many as 300 homeopathic practitioners joined Bahubali Shahi, the administrator of the Maharashtra Council of homoeopathy, in a three-day hunger strike at Azad Maidan at 10am on Wednesday. The Maharashtra United Homoeopathic Doctors Front (MUHDF) was protesting against the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the state government’s decision to withdraw the registration of homoeopathy doctors under the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC). Around 5pm, Shah met with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to address the protestors’ concerns, the details of the meeting is not known.

Mumbai, India – 16, July 2025: Homoeopathic Doctors protest against Maharashtra Government among there various demands at Azad maidan, in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

MMC’s recent decision to allow homeopathic practitioners to register and practice allopathic medicine once they complete a certificate course in modern pharmacology (CCMP) met with opposition from various organisations, including the IMA and the Maharashtra Senior Residents Doctors Association (MSRDA), who called it a risk to public health. The IMA had threatened to strike if homoeopathic physicians were allowed to practice allopathic medicine. Subsequently, the council withdrew its decision. Following this, homeopathic physicians have been demanding for its reinstatement.

Over 60 homoeopathy colleges from across the state showed their support to the protest by sending their students to participate in the strike. Thousands of practitioners and various political leaders like NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, NCP MLA Sangram Jagtap, and others, paid a visit to the protest site in solidarity.

Those at the strike also pointed out that many MBBS doctors do not practise in rural and semi-urban areas. “We act as primary health providers and are not involved in surgeries. We recommend specialists for it. I have not seen a new allopathic doctor start practice in my area in the last decade. We take on the entire load, so why can’t we be recognised?,” asked Pramod B Jain, a family physician in Masjid. The Front will be on strike overnight until Friday, until their demands are met, the doctors said.