Overview

• Over 500 Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology–certified homeopathic doctors began an open-ended hunger strike at Azad Maidan on July 17 to press for reinstatement of their Maharashtra Medical Council registration.
• Their protest follows more than 9,000 CCMP practitioners calling off a three-day hunger strike after state officials pledged a four-day review of their demands.
• On July 11 the government suspended all new CCMP registrations and convened a seven-member expert committee of allopathy and homeopathy experts to conduct a two-month assessment of the bridge-course framework.
• Homeopathic doctors insist they serve as primary healthcare providers in rural and tribal areas and say official recognition under MMC rules is essential to address chronic doctor shortages.
• The Indian Medical Association and other allopathic groups have challenged the policy over patient safety concerns and the risks of cross-disciplinary practice without MBBS-level training.