After Six Months, State Medical Council Gets Reconstituted in JnK

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the term of the JKMC had ended six months ago and the council was dissolved. The situation had landed the MBBS graduates in Jammu and Kashmir in trouble as even after graduating they were unable to get registered under the State Council, which is mandatory for the doctors in order to appear in the NEET-PG counseling process. Besides without the registration of the State Council, the doctors were unable to even practice.

In fact, raising the issue, the doctors had written to the Financial Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Medical Education Department, Shri Vivek Bharadwaj.

Earlier, speaking to Medical Dialogues, a doctor from IMA-JDN J&K had informed that Mr. Bharadwaj had assured solving the issue of the doctors at the earliest.

Also Read: Medical Council Registration pending: NEET PG aspirants anticipating year loss

With the completion of tenure of the previous Chairman of J&K Medical Council Dr. Saleem ur Rehman back in April this year, the Council stood dissolved. The existence of the council is necessary not only for registering medical professionals, and issue certificates of registrations, but it is also necessary to promote and certify continuous medical education, verify credentials claimed by professionals, issue certificates of Good Standing, and also to investigate and provide a redressal mechanism for grievances.

After a long wait, the state medical council has finally been reconstituted and Dr Saleem ur Rehman has once again been nominated as a council member and his name has been featured at the top of the nominee list. 

Recently, the confirmation regarding the formation of the new medical council came from the Jammu Kashmir Health and Medical Education Department, which had tweeted about the news.

The official handle of the Health and Medical Education Department wrote, "Dussehra and Eid Milad u Nabi gift to the Medical Fraternity. J&K State Medical Council reconstituted. Orders being issued soon."

Recently speaking to Greater Kashmir, the Additional Chief Secretary of J&K Health Department Vivek Bharadwaj had informed that the file for constituting the State Medical Council was being vetted by the Law Department of the UT. He had further commented about how the long-pending formation of the State Medical Council was proving harmful for quality medical education and healthcare services in the UT.

"It took a little while but now the process is over," he had mentioned adding that the non-existence of the State Council was affecting masses and the Government was aware of the situation.

Now, the order has also been issued by the Health and Medical Education Department and the UT administration has nominated four members for the JKMC. Among these four members, Dr. Saleem Ul Rehman is the Director-General of Family Welfare and Maternity Child Health and Immunization. Apart from Dr Rehman, the other members are Dr. Iqbal Sofi (Medical Superintendent of District Hospital Anantnag), Dr. Rajeshwar Sharma (Medical Superintendent of Chest Diseases Hospital, Government Medical College, Jammu), Dr. Chanderlekha (Retired D.H.O, Jammu).

Expressing his happiness and delight over the news, Dr. Rakesh Koul, State Convener of IMA-JDN J&K told Medical Dialogues, "We are extremely happy that the Council has been formed and now the pending procedures will also be completed. The officials have assured us that the portal for registration would be opened soon and the doctors will get their pending registrations at the earliest.

The order has also mentioned the terms of reference of the authority. They are-

(I) The authority shall hold office till any law is enacted in this behalf and shall be eligible for re-appointment;

(II) The Authority shall appoint a Registrar who shall also act as a Treasurer unless the authority appoints any other person as a Treasurer. Every person so appointed shall be removable at the pleasure of the authority;

(III) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as a Registrar, unless he possesses any qualification described in Schedule of this notification;

(IV) It shall be duty of the Registrar to open and maintain a Register to be called "Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Medical Register" from time to time to revise a register and publish it in the prescribed manner. Such register shall be deemed to be public document within the meaning of Evidence Act.

(V) Every person possessing any of the qualifications described in the Schedule of this notification, may apply to the Registrar to be registered and on payment of the fee prescribed by the authority and on furnishing to registrar proof of such registrations or qualification, shall be entitled to be registered, and thereupon the Registrar, subject to the proviso, contained hereinafter, shall register him in the Jammu and Kashmir Medical Register.