After Six Months, State Medical Council Gets Reconstituted in JnK

Written by Barsha Misra Published On 2021-10-21T09:30:19+05:30 | Updated On 21 Oct 2021 6:54 PM IST

After Six Months, State Medical Council Gets Reconstituted in JnK

Srinagar: Bringing good news to the doctors of the UT, the Jammu and Kashmir Medical Council has finally been reconstituted after a long waiting period of six months.

In the recent order dated 20.10.2021, the UT Health and Medical Education Department has specified the names of Dr. Saleem Ul Rehman, Dr. Iqbal Sofi, Dr. Rajeshwar Sharma, and Dr Chanderlekha as the four members of the JKMC, the regulating body of medical practice and education in Jammu and Kashmir.

These officers have been selected to "discharge the functions of the Jammu and Kashmir Medical Council, in terms of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 (Act. No 30 of 2019), for regulating the practice and registration of practitioners of Medicine in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, till any law is enacted in this behalf in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir," mentioned the notification issued by the Additional Chief Secretary Vivek Bhardwaj.

With this, the ongoing problems of the graduated MBBS doctors are likely to end as with the formation of a new medical council the doctors are expected to receive their medical council registration soon, which is mandatory for either to practice or to pursue higher education.

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."

Dussehra and Eid Milad u Nabi gift to the Medical Fraternity. J&K State Medical Council reconstituted. Orders being issued soon.@diprjk @OfficeOfLGJandK
— Health & Medical Education Department J&K (@HealthMedicalE1) October 18, 2021

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.

Provided that the authority may permit the registration of any person about whom it is satisfied:-

(1) that he is possessed of a Medical degree, diploma of certificate of any University, Medical College, or School approved by the Authority , other than those described in the Schedule , or

(2) that he has been practising medicine in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, continuously for period of not less than nine years , without having fallen into disrepute about his personal conduct or professional capability and is sufficiently literate to carry on such practice without any probable danger to human life;

provided further that before a person is permitted to be registered, shall be, required to produce a certificate, each from the District Medical Officer and Deputy Commissioner of the District in which he is practising, to the effect that he fulfils the conditions;

Provided also that the authority may refuse to permit the Registration of any person who has been convicted for any of such offence as implies, in opinion of authority as defect of character or who after an inquiry, at which opportunity has been given to the applicant to be heard in person or by pleader, has been held by the authority to have been guiltily of infamous conduct in any professional respect;

provided further that the Registrar, on receiving of an application, for entry in the Register from any person in respect of whom he considers that the authority may wish to exercise the power of refusal conferred by the last foregoing proviso may refer the said application to the authority and shall not make any entry in the register in respect of such person until the authority informs him that the entry may be made.

(VI) An appeal shall lie to the Authority against any order of the Registrar. The said appeal shall be preferred within three months of the date of the order appealed against.

(VII) The authority may request the Governing Body or authorities of any University, Medical College or School included in or any desirous of being included in , the schedule;

(a) to furnish reports, returns or other information as the authority may require to enable it to judge of the efficiency of the instructions given therein in medicine and surgery and midwifery; and,

(b) to provide facilities to enable any member of the authority deputed by it in this behalf to present at the examination held by such University, College or School. If the said body or authority fails or refuses to comply with any such request, the Government may, upon the report, by authority remove the name of such University, Medical College or School from the schedule or refuse to include it in the schedule.

Also Read: With Change in name of RML's medical college, Doctors' DMC Registration goes for a toss

Source : with inputs

Barsha Misra

Barsha completed her Master's in English from the University of Burdwan, West Bengal in 2018. Having a knack for Journalism she joined Medical Dialogues back in 2020. She mainly covers news about medico legal cases, NMC/DCI updates, medical education issues including the latest updates about medical and dental colleges in India. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.