India, Sept. 18 -- Around two lakh allopathy doctors across Maharashtra, including 10,000 from Pune, will shut down medical services for 24 hours starting 8am on September 18 in response to a strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Maharashtra state and supported by Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) and hospital associations, said officials on Wednesday.

The protest is against the state government's directive to the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to register homoeopathic doctors who have completed the one-year Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP). The move would compromise the quality of healthcare and put patients at risk, reads a statement released by IMA.

"The MBBS course is 5.5 years lon...