Maharashtra Holds Meeting on BHMS Doctor Registration After Chinchpokli Protests
The Maharashtra government convened a high-level meeting on Tuesday, July 28, at Mantralaya in Mumbai to decide on registering BHMS doctors with the Maharashtra Medical Council, delaying a process scheduled to begin at the council's Chinchpokli office on July 27. Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif called the 4:30 pm meeting to deliberate on the contentious issue amid protests by BHMS practitioners and opposition from the Indian Medical Association.
The sudden postponement triggered demonstrations outside the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) office at Chinchpokli. Scores of eligible applicants holding the Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) gathered at the venue on Monday, July 27, expecting the registration process to commence. However, the process failed to start, and applicants staged a protest after being kept waiting due to the Registrar's unavailability. Protesters were subsequently informed that the state government had scheduled a high-level meeting to take a final decision on the matter.
Affected practitioners expressed frustration over the repeated delays. Dr. Shailesh Govind Patil, a BHMS-CCMP qualified doctor, stated that thousands of doctors have been waiting for justice since 2014, adding that many submitted their applications nearly a year ago without a single registration being issued. Dr. Ajaz Ahmad Khan, another practitioner, questioned why implementation was stalled despite prior government announcements, alleging that the government appeared to be acting under pressure from a private body.
Conversely, the proposal faces strong opposition from medical bodies. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) urged the government to defer any action until the Bombay High Court hears the ongoing legal dispute on August 13 and 14. Dr. Santosh Kadam, President of IMA Maharashtra, stated that initiating registrations before the court renders its decision could influence the judicial process. The IMA has also threatened a statewide shutdown of medical services if the registration process moves forward before the legal matter is resolved.
In preparation for the meeting, the Medical Education and Drugs Department issued a notice asking all concerned departments to submit their comments in advance. Officials were instructed to ensure full stakeholder representation and to submit the finalized meeting minutes for the minister's approval within five days.
