Registration to WB Medical Council Mandatory to Treat Swasthya Sathi patients

Kolkata: It has now been made mandatory for doctors to get registered under the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) to be eligible to treat patients in Bengal under the Swasthya Sathi scheme.

Doctors have been advised by the State Government to register themselves in Swasthya Sathi portal OT in mobile application mentioning their latest specialization, hospitals attached, WBMC registration number, AADHAR number and PAN within the end of November 2023.

In this regard, the State Health Department issued two circulars on November 24 addressing the issue of mandatory registration of doctors under the West Bengal Medical Council.

One of the circulars referred to the Gazette notification of National Medical Council (Ethics and Medical Registration Board) dated 10.05.2023, where the Clause 9 "Transfer of license to Practice" and clause 11 "Transitory Provisions" stated that all the medical practitioners have to register themselves by applying through WBMC web portal of the Ethics and Medical Registration Board in accordance to enroll for "License to Practice" by the State Medical Council for practicing in West Bengal.

The concerned Gazette notification also specified the requirement of the same to be updated within a period of three months to obtain the registration number as one-time measure which shall be valid for a period of five years from the date of issuance.

Further, the State Health Department also referred to the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Act, 2010 dated 5 October 2010. In Chapter 11 titled "Registration and Standards", it was mentioned that no CE license shall be granted in respect of a Clinical Establishment unless the CE has engaged any Registered Medical Practitioner is recognized by the West Bengal State Government.

Accordingly, the State Health Department advised the following:

i. All the Medical Practitioner has to register themselves in West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) of the above provision to perform any case under Swasthya Sathi.

"This Advisory need to be adhered by all Swasthya Sethi empanelled hospitals or el.. clinical establishment will not be entitled to avail services under Swasthya Sathi," the State clarified in the Circular.

In another circular issued on the same date, the State referred to the fact that as per the current provision, details of the Medical Practitioner had been captured in the Swasthya Sathu portal under Human Resources module during hospital empanelment including their specialization. However, the Health Department pointed out that since the doctor specialization hospitals involved are dynamic in nature, updated information are available in the portal for better scheme monitoring.

Referring to this, the circular mentioned that in order to strengthen the database of the personnel, software based Human Resource module has been developed with additional features for updation of such details of doctors involved in Swasthya Sathi which is also integrated in the Swasthya Sathi mobile application.

In this regard, the circular added, "It is hereby advised that all treating doctors have to register themselves in Swasthya Sathi portal OT in mobile application mentioning their latest specialization, hospitals attached, WBMC .registration number) b, ADHAR number and PAN immediately. It is expected that such registration will be completed by the end of Nov_2023 and thereafter no case can be blocked if the doctor is not registered und; Swasthya Sathi portal. This is expected that all such doctors shall regularly update/modify the information immediately, if there is any change in such details."

"This Advisory shall be adhered by all SwasthYa Sathi empanelled hospitals with immediate effect and until further order," it further mentioned.

To view the circulars, click on the link below:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/mandatoryregistrationofdoctorsunderwestbengalmedicalcouncil241120232023-27-11-08-58-54-226493.pdf

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/swasthya-sathi-226494.pdf

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