Due to internal issues between the govt and its committee members…Only two months since MAC was set up, the debate over appointing council members may delay the registration process of 25,000 practitioners
Mumbai: The first-ever Maharashtra Acupuncture Council (MAC) may soon cease to exist due to the internal problems between the state government and the committee members.
Six members were inducted to the council in May, after the government had introduced the Maharashtra Acupuncture System of Therapy Act on April 3, 2017. The committee included an Ayurvedic doctor, two Sujok practitioners, an acupressurist, an allopath and a physiotherapist
A senior official said it has been only two months since MAC was set up, but the debate over appointing council members will delay the process of registration of over 25,000 acupuncture practitioners, who are currently practising without valid registration.
Six members were inducted to the council in May, after the government had introduced the Maharashtra Acupuncture System of Therapy Act (MASTA) on April 3, 2017. The committee included an Ayurvedic doctor, two Sujok practitioners, an acupressurist, an allopath and a physiotherapist.
“It is indeed strange and shocking for the entire acupuncture community in the state and elsewhere because apart from renowned acupuncture expert Dr P B Lohiya, none of the members have any expertise or knowledge of the field,” claimed Yogesh Kodkani, an acupuncture specialist.
A PIL was then filed by an Aurangabad acupuncturist; Dr D Dakle, demanding that the current council be dissolved, after which notices were issued to the state government, Director, Directorate of Medical Education & Research (DMER) Dr Pravin Shingare and six council members on the issue.
Kodkani said that at a special meeting of acupuncture practitioners hosted by Dr R F Behramjee in 2017, Dr Shingare had made certain shocking revelations, which have been recorded.
“Dr R F Behramjee, allopathic-physiotherapist had given an undertaking to donate Rs 10 lakh and his private hospital space in Mumbai to kickstart the proposed council and Dr Chandrashekhar Pardeshi, the vice chairman, was appointed due to his blood ties with the state’s top bureaucrats,” added Kodkani.
Dr Shingare said that the feud has taken the focus away from establishing the first-ever successful medical council for acupuncture practitioners in India. “We have not received the Bombay High Court (HC) notice yet. We will be happy if HC stays the council and if it quashes it, we will follow their directives on new members,” he said.
Moreover, the state medical education department said that practitioners who were not recognised earlier, will have to do a bridge course to continue practice or they will be termed “illegitimate” medical practitioners.
