Kolhapur: Outpatient services at Chhatrapati Pramila Raje (CPR) Civil Hospital in Kolhapur were disrupted on Wednesday after resident doctors stayed away from work to protest Maharashtra govt’s decision to allow certain homeopathy practitioners to provide allopathic treatment.Resident doctors affiliated with the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) staged a peaceful protest on the hospital premises against the move to grant Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) registration to BHMS practitioners who have completed the Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP).As part of the statewide agitation, elective healthcare services, including OPD operations, remained suspended for the day. Emergency and essential services, however, continued uninterrupted.Doctors participating in the protest argued that the decision could compromise patient safety and healthcare standards.“MARD believes that granting MMC registration for the practice of modern medicine based on a one-year CCMP course raises concerns about the quality and safety of healthcare delivery. Modern medicine requires comprehensive education, structured clinical training, and supervised practical experience,” said Dr Sushil Biradar of the MARD Kolhapur unit.“MARD respectfully submits that any policy permitting cross-practice without equivalent training may adversely affect the quality of patient care,” he added.The association demanded immediate suspension of the registration process for BHMS-CCMP practitioners and urged govt not to implement the decision until the Bombay high court delivers its final verdict on the matter. It also sought consultation with central MARD representatives before any further policy decisions are taken.Emphasising that the protest was aimed at safeguarding patients rather than opposing any medical system, Biradar said, “MARD, Kolhapur reiterates that this protest is not directed against any recognised system of medicine or its practitioners. It is a representation made in the interest of patient safety, maintaining established standards of medical education and clinical practice, and preserving the quality of healthcare delivery.”“We respectfully urge Govt of Maharashtra to consider these concerns carefully and take appropriate action in the larger interest of patients and public health,” he said.
