Homeopaths Get Medical Licenses Amid Safety Fears

Two more homeopaths in Maharashtra have recently been granted registrations with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC), permitting them to prescribe complex modern medicines. This development occurred on Monday, nearly three weeks after the first such registration was issued. The registrations are contingent upon the homeopaths completing a one-year certificate course in pharmacology. This move has ignited controversy within the medical community, raising concerns about potential risks to patient safety. The situation escalated in August following a government resolution directing MMC to commence these registrations and establish protocols for handling negligence cases. This led to protests, including a strike by the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) and the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which was later called off by court order. A temporary freeze on registrations was imposed by the medical education department but was subsequently lifted, with the department citing a procedural error and lack of approval for the freeze letter.