Resident doctors in Maharashtra suspend routine OPD services over CCMP-qualified BHMS MMC registration

The MARD has launched a protest after the Maharashtra government began the process of granting Maharashtra Medical Council registration to BHMS practitioners holding the CCMP qualification

Mumbai, August 4, 2026: Healthcare services at public hospitals across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, are likely to be affected from Wednesday, August 5, as resident doctors have announced the withdrawal of routine medical services in protest against the Maharashtra government's proposed move to grant Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) registration to Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP)-qualified BHMS practitioners.The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) hospitals and Sir J. J. Hospital has joined the statewide agitation, under which routine Outpatient Department (OPD) services will remain suspended from Wednesday. Emergency services, casualty departments, ICUs, labour rooms and all other essential services will continue uninterrupted.Government Committee FormedThe protest comes a day after the state government constituted a six-member committee to frame a regulatory framework for registering CCMP-qualified BHMS doctors in a separate register of the Maharashtra Medical Council. The committee has been tasked with defining their scope of practice, the medical negligence inquiry mechanism and the code of medical ethics. The Government Resolution (GR) was issued by the Medical Education Department on Monday.Earlier, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) observed a 24-hour statewide shutdown from 6 am on August 4 to 6 am on August 5 against the government's decision. However, the strike had limited impact, with most government and private hospitals, as well as private clinics, functioning normally.Resident Doctors Intensify ProtestFrom August 5, resident doctors from Grant Government Medical College and Sir J. J. Hospital, along with BMC MARD representing KEM, Sion, Nair and Cooper hospitals, will intensify the agitation by withdrawing routine OPD services.In a statement, BMC MARD said granting MMC registration to CCMP-qualified BHMS practitioners would compromise established medical education standards, weaken the integrity of the council's registration system and raise serious concerns over patient safety. The association clarified that it respects all recognised systems of medicine and opposes only "crosspathy" and the dilution of professional and regulatory standards.Also Watch: Mumbai: Rajawadi Hospital Doctors Remove Rare 5.5-Kg, 30-cm Uterine Fibroid In Complex SurgeryParticipation At JJ HospitalMeanwhile, MARD at Grant Government Medical College and Sir J. J. Hospital has sought permission from the hospital dean to participate in the protest. Resident doctors will gather at Khula Sabhagruh from 8 am on August 5 while continuing emergency and life-saving services. The association said the future course of the agitation will depend on the response of the government and directions issued by Central MARD.To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/