IMA claims it is awaiting government decision on Monday on the NMC bill. Representatives from IMA have been meeting Union health department officials to oppose the inclusion of Unani doctors in the bridge course.

Demanding that a bridge courses be allowed for Ayurvedic and homeopathic doctors under the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, doctors attached with All India Homeopathic Doctors Federation (AIHF) on Wednesday carried out a protest rally from JJ Hospital to Azad Maidan.

The protest comes after Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) protest to remove the clause from NMC Bill that allows a bridge course for homeopaths, Ayurved and Unani doctors to prescribe allopathic medicines. IMA has threatened a nationwide protests if the parallel form of medicine is allowed to combine with allopathy. According to Dr Prakash Rane, attached with AIHDF, the protests have been ongoing since last three days. At least 500 doctors are part of the protest in Mumbai.

IMA claims it is awaiting government decision on Monday on the NMC bill. Representatives from IMA have been meeting Union health department officials to oppose the inclusion of Unani doctors in the bridge course.

Even as IMA has opposed the government’s intentions to allow Ayurvedic and homopathic doctors to prescribe allopathic medicines, under a project to upgrade sub-centres, public health department has already started posting homeopathic doctors to run health and wellness centres in Maharashtra.