Indian Medical Association warns of token strike on September 18

Over 1.5 lakh allopathic doctors are expected to participate in the strike. Representation pic/istock

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Sunday held a state-level meeting with representatives from all 231 of its branches to discuss the ongoing demand by homoeopathy doctors to practice modern medicine. "All the representatives are on the same page and believe that cross-practice or mixopathy should not be allowed merely on the basis of a bridge course," said IMA state president Dr Santosh Kadam.

The association has decided to collect support letters from MLAs and MPs in their respective jurisdictions and submit them to the government along with a formal demand letter in the coming days. "We will submit these letters either on September 15 or 16 and wait for a government response until the night of September 17. If the government decides in favour of homoeopathy doctors, or does not respond by then, we will go on a one-day token strike on September 18, during which all our doctors will refrain from providing services across the state," Dr Kadam said. Over 52,000 allopathic doctors are expected to participate in the strike.

The IMA has appealed for public understanding, clarifying that the protest is not against homoeopathy or alternative systems per se, but against the unscientific blending of medical disciplines. Patient advocacy groups have expressed concerns about possible disruptions but also urged the government to clarify its stance to prevent further escalation. "Protesting is a fundamental right, so we cannot stop anyone from participating. In my opinion, the healthcare system won't suffer much," said Dr Bahubali Shah, head of the Maharashtra Homoeopathy Council.