The Indian Medical Association (IMA) launched a 24-hour strike at 8 am on Thursday. Despite all IMA-registered hospitals being shut across the state, healthcare services were not massively hampered, as emergency services were available at government hospitals. Doctors are protesting against the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) permitting the registration of homoeopaths who complete the Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology to prescribe modern medicine.

“Till late Thursday evening, we had only received a letter from the government stating that the matter was still in the courts and asking us to call off our strike. However, we asked that if the matter was sub judice, why was the order mentioning the registration of homoeopathy practitioners and permitting them to practise modern medicine passed by the government,” said Dr Santosh Kadam, state president, IMA.