After Telangana, Now Jharkhand Medical Council warns Doctors against displaying Unrecognized Medical Qualifications
Dhanbad:Days after Telangana State Medical Council issues a warning for its doctors, now the medical practitioners in Jharkhand have been directed by the State Medical Council not to display degrees or qualifications that are not recognized by the National Medical Commission (NMC), which is the Apex medical education regulatory body in India.
A new committee of the State Medical Council took this decision to implement the ban after taking note of the fact that such fake degrees and false claims regarding degrees on signboard may mislead patients in crisis.
Warning the doctors, the Council has advised the doctors displaying fake degrees unrecognised by NMC to take the notice seriously. The Council has warned that violation of the notice will entail disciplinary or penal action from the Council.
Implementing a ban on the display of such unrecognised degrees by registered practitioners of modern medicine, the Jharkhand State Medical Council mentioned in an attention letter issued to the doctors of the State, “All registered practitioners of scientific medicine are hereby advised not to display any degree/ qualification which is not recognized by Medical Council of India/ National Medical Commission.”
Informing this, the member secretary-cum-register Dr. Bimlesh Kumar Singh mentioned that the Council came to know that several doctors display signboards and claim to be specialists/super specialists in a branch even though they do not have the required special qualifications in that branch.
Referring to this, he told Lagatar 24, “That is not only illegal but also unethical. Any claimed speciality/expertise must be backed by a special qualification in that branch, recognized by MCI / NMC."
Dr. Singh further pointed out how some medicos after completing their surgeonship claim themselves to be General Surgeon, General Physician by displaying such degrees on signboards. Some of the medicos write their qualifications to be cardiologist, nephrologist, urologist and others.
Apart from these, the Foreign Medical Graduates who come back to India after completing their courses in Russia, Ukraine, and other countries display their qualifications as MDs, when most of them have not received any recognition from the Apex medical commission, Dr. Singh mentioned, adding that "such display of fake degrees and false claims to be specialist on signboard mislead patients in crisis. So, a new committee of the Jharkhand State Medical Council has resolved to ban it in the interest of all."
He further said that it has been found that some medicos after completing house surgeonship display degrees on signboards as General Surgeon, General Physician while some write cardiologist, nephrologist, urologist, and others.
Moreover, the doctors who return to India after completing courses in Russia, Ukraine and other countries write themselves MDs but most of them have not got recognition from the NMC. “Such display of fake degrees and false claims to be specialist on signboard mislead patients in crisis. So, a new committee of the Jharkhand State Medical Council has resolved to ban it in the interest of all,” he said.
Dr. Singh has further informed that JSMC would constitute a special squad for checking such signboards of doctors across the State. He mentioned, “If the signboard degree of any doctor is found fake, his practice can be banned and a recommendation would be sent for cancellation of his registration.”
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that recently taking cognisance of the complaints against allopathy doctors in the State practising with medical degrees or diplomas without valid recognition from the NMC, the Telangana State Medical Council (TSMC) had issued a warning to the doctors.
In fact, the Chairman of TSMC had further informed that the Council would set up a separate cell to track down such doctors who are using non-recognised degree or diploma. The Council had also informed that there will be vigilance officer to identify such non-recognised degrees and quacks.
