Maha allows homoeo docs to practise allopathy
Chittaranjan Tembhekar & Malathy Iyer TNN
Mumbai: The Maharashtra cabinet on Thursday gave the green signal for homoeopathy doctors to prescribe allopathy medicines—provided they undergo a year-long certification course in pharmacology.
The state has around 62,000 homoeopaths who could benefit from the decision, but allopathy practitioners made their uneasiness known immediately. The Indian Medical Association’s Maharashtra chapter is, in fact, preparing to move the court against the cabinet decision. “An MBBS student learns pharmacology in the initial period of the four-and-half-year-long
course. They have three years, including their internship period, to familiarise themselves with pharmacology. So, how can a homeopath learn it a period of a year?’’ asked Dr Jayesh Lele, secretary of IMAMaharashtra.
Homeopaths first made a plea to allow combined practice almost three decades back. Practitioners in Ayurveda and Unani are allowed to prescribe allopathy medicines under the Maharashtra Medical Council Act 1965 and the Drug & Cosmetics Act 1941.
Officials said that the cabinet nod was prompted by the shortage of doctors in rural areas. “Even in urban areas such as Mumbai, homeopaths are the ones appointed as housemen in most hospitals. We are just ensuring that their education is a bit better,’’ said an official. He said allopathy doctors abstained from doing mandatory rural service.
No comments:
Post a Comment