TN Medical Council cancels Provisional Registration of FMG for falsely practising as Registered Doctor

Chennai: Taking action against a foreign medical graduate who allegedly cheated the Health Department by claiming to be a Registered medical practitioner, the State Medical Council of Tamil Nadu has recently cancelled the Provisional Registration Certificate issued to the doctor.

Dr. Ramasundaram, who has faced the wrath of the Medical Council, was reportedly working as a COVID Medical Officer, in King Institute of Preventive Medicine, Chennai.

The issue came to light after the doctor was arrested by police on May 4, 2021, for the offence of selling Remdesivir Injection, which is an antiviral drug used to treat patients affected by Covid-19 in the black market.

Consequently, the doctor was remanded in judicial custody and a criminal case was registered against him under section 259,270 IPC, 53, 57 DM Act 2005, 3-ED Act 1987, and 7 of Tamil Nadu Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

Initially, the Tamil Nadu Medical Council was probing this matter and had issued a show-cause notice to the doctor on June 1, 2021, where the doctor was asked to state why appropriate action should not be taken against him.

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During his representation on June 22, 2021, the doctor had mainly stated that he had been made a scapegoat for the misdeeds of some other person and claimed that a false case had been registered against him.

It was while investigating the matter the Council perused the records, and noted that after completing his UG Medical education from Davao Medical School Foundation in the Philippines, Dr. Ramasundaram was issued a Provisional Certificate by TNMC for pursuing Internship at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai. Such a certificate was issued by the Council after it scrutinized the credentials of the doctor and found him eligible to pursue an internship.

Consequently, after the doctor produced a No Objection Certificate from Apollo Hospital, Chennai, a MCI recognied institute, he was provided with the certificate by the council for pursuing his internship at the same hospital.

However, Tamil Nadu Medical Council noted that the doctor illegally claimed himself to be a Registered Medical Practitioner and applied to King Institute of Preventive Medicine, Chennai for the job of "Covid-19 Medical Officer".

Taking note of the fact that the doctor was recruited to the said post without proper verification at King institute, Medical Council stated in the order, "Thus, you have willfully cheated Health Department of Tamil Nadu for financial gain and till the time of your arrest, you have practiced as a Registered Medical Officer without Proper license to do so and thereby endangered the lives of COVID patents."

"Now therefore, in view of the above grave misconduct on your part, the Provisional Registration Certificate granted to you is hereby cancelled, pending disciplinary initiated against you and you are directed to return the Provisional Registration Certificate to the council, immediately," the order mentioned.