The Maharashtra government has framed its decision to allow homeopathic doctors to prescribe allopathic medicines, after undergoing a bridge course, as a pragmatic response to a vexing problem. Although the state has roughly one physician for every 700 people — better than the WHO’s benchmark of one doctor per 1,000 people — its rural areas have faced a persistent shortage of allopathic practitioners. But addressing that shortage by combining therapeutic systems is problematic. The MBBS curriculum also trains doctors to assess the quality of medical evidence, and interpret diagnostic investigations. At best, it can familiarise homeopathic practitioners with selected allopathic medicines, common conditions and standard treatment protocols.