Medical Council raises alarm over doctor registration issues, NPA misuse, negligence, ethical violations

Kohima: The State Medical Council of Nagaland recently highlighted critical concerns related to doctors' medical registration, as well as malpractice, ethical violations, and governance lapses in healthcare practice in Nagaland, during its Executive and Ethical Committee meeting held on July 18.

Issuing a press release, the Council highlighted these concerns while noting that, since its inception in 2015, it has consistently worked to scrutinise and register all allopathic doctors in the state. Furthermore, the Council emphasized the need for ethical and competent medical practice, reiterating its commitment to upholding professional standards as prescribed by the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the National Medical Commission (NMC).

The concerns that the Council highlighted are as follows:

Issues with Doctors' Registration and Malpractice Concerns:

Highlighting that all allopathic medical practitioners- including those from outside the State working in clinics, hospitals, or health camps- must register with the Nagaland Medical Council under the Nagaland Medical Council Act, 2014, the Council expressed concerns over instances where individuals falsely claimed to have specialist credentials even though they lacked recognised qualifications. Referring to these instances, the council warned that such cases erode public trust and endanger lives.

Also Read:Fake Doctor Busted in Dimapur after years of fraudulent practice

In this regard, the council referred to a recent case involving a person of Dimapur Medical Hall, who was found using the registration number of a senior government doctor. Allegedly, he performed more than 20 autopsies/ post-mortems despite lacking proper qualification. Calling it a serious breach the Council said that such criminal offence may indicate negligence or complicity by authorities.

Further, the Council highlighted that the allopathic medical practitioners are mandated to renew their registration after every 5 years as per the Nagaland Medical Council Act 2014 and the National Medical Commission Registered Medical Practitioners (Professional Conduct) Regulation 2023.

However, the Council observed that some of the Government doctors refused to get registered or renew their registration. According to the Council, the Government's action to continue employing such doctors is illegal. Therefore, it has urged the Government to take appropriate action, Morung Express has reported.

The Council also alleged that some of the private hospitals were employing unqualified doctors or quacks and urged the health establishment authority to conduct investigations and take actions on such reports.

NMC informed that as of date it has registered 1,480 allopathic doctors eligible to practise modern medicine in Nagaland. Despite noting a good doctor-patient ratio in the State (approximately 1:1600), the Council expressed distress over the rising unemployment among qualified doctors.

It also reminded that all the Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) must clear the screening test i.e. Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) conducted by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) to practice in India.

Misuse of Non-Practicing Allowance:

Another major concern that the council highlighted was the issue of private practice undertaken by government doctors, who also receive the Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA). The Council pointed out that NPA includes additional components like HRA, DA, and ADA and is meant to ensure full-time commitment to public healthcare. It also added that the starting salary of a junior doctor with MPA is comparable to that of senior government officials in other departments.

However, the council highlighted that many government doctors reportedly neglect duties at their official postings and operate private practices in urban areas like Kohima, Dimapur, and Mokokchung. Calling this practice unethical, illegal and a direction violation of government rules, the Council lamented that even with written complaints, including those from the Lokayukta, authorities have failed to take action.

In the release, the Council warned that such private practice undermines healthcare access for rural populations and also exposes doctors to legal risks, particularly in cases of negligence or misconduct. Therefore, the Council urged the Government to urgently address this issue.

Increasing Instances of Medical Negligence:

The Council also expressed concern over increasing allegations of medical negligence, especially in peripheral areas where doctors remain absent from their posts and specialists remain concentrated in major towns.

Highlighting that wilful negligence, whether in the government or private sector, must be dealt with systematically, the council encouraged citizens to report instances of negligence to the Council, which assured that all such complaints would be investigated and acted upon.

Allegations of Sexual Misconduct:

Another issue that the council highlighted is the complaints of sexual misconduct by doctors. The council noted that even though the problem was more rampant before the establishment of the NMC, it is still persisting.

Condemning such behaviour as a "serious, unethical and criminal offence", the Council warned medical professionals that sexual misbehavior at the workplace could result in criminal prosecution, as well as suspension or cancellation of their registration.

NMC also urged the public to report such incidents, either by email or by addressing written complaints to the President of the Convenor of the Ethical Committee of the NMC.

Also Read: Nagaland Medical Council Mandates Doctors to Ensure Registration Compliance