Maharashtra Medical Council launches AI-based Grievance System, Doctors raise concern
Doctors
Mumbai: The Maharashtra Medical Council’s introduction of an AI-enabled interactive voice response platform for handling complaints has sparked unease among sections of the medical fraternity and regulatory specialists, who have cautioned that increased reliance on technology must go hand in hand with openness, responsibility, and well-defined checks.
Introduced earlier this month, the automated system is intended to support nearly two lakh registered practitioners across the State by offering recorded guidance on complaints, tracking of applications, and procedural matters, Mumbai Mirror.
According to council officials, the move seeks to bridge communication gaps and resolve persistent grievances over unattended phone calls and prolonged response times. However, critics contend that complaint resolution by a statutory medical authority cannot be equated with routine customer support, as it involves regulatory decisions with serious professional and legal implications.
MMC chief Dr Vinky Rughwani said the council is taking note of the feedback from doctors frustrated by the lack of timely information, “The objective is to streamline communication, reduce uncertainty, and provide doctors with quicker access to information,” he said. He further supported IVR, stating that maintaining administrative efficiency is its motivation and not substituting the institutional responsibility or decision-making, reports The Daily.
“Automation can help with access, but without explicit accountability mechanisms, it also creates new risks,” said a senior Mumbai-based healthcare policy analyst. They further informed that mistakes like problems in categorisation, delays in escalation, or failure in the system can lead of career ending results. Legal experts in healthcare have warned that such mechanisms frequently deal with delicate matters, including delays in registration, disputes over paperwork and administrative actions that have a direct bearing on a doctor’s ability to continue medical practice.
According to The Daily, the protective measures regarding the Maharashtra Medical Council’s rollout have also raised concerns among doctors. Data on system accuracy, rates of committing errors, point of escalation, or grievance timelines have not been made public yet. “Transparency is not just about acknowledging a grievance,” said psychiatrist Dr Sagar Mundada. “It is about knowing how it will be evaluated, who will review it, and what recourse exists if the process fails,” he added.
The problems of the Maharashtra Medical Council tend to align more with basic institutional errors rather than technological aspects. The officials stated that the system is still in its initial stage and manual channels are still open.
According to the analysts, higher standards need to be maintained in case of grievance redressal and medical regulation than concentrating on commercial customer service. “When technology fails in regulation,” one expert said, “it is not convenience that is lost—it is professional security.
