Delhi Health Minister Approves Medical Council Dissolution, DGHS to Handle Doctor Registrations, Council Functions
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New Delhi: The proposal to dissolve the Delhi Medical Council, which Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh has already passed, is awaiting acceptance from the Lieutenant Governor's office. Meanwhile, the Health Department has tasked the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to oversee the functions of the Council until a new body is formed.
The Delhi Government proposed to dissolve the Delhi Medical Council (DMC) amid allegations of mismanagement and irregularities in its functioning.
The said proposal has been passed by the health minister, keeping in mind the financial irregularities in the council along with discrepancies in registrations, and mismanagement in functioning.
Speaking to ANI, Health Minister Singh said, "We have passed the decision to dissolve the Delhi Medical Council and sent it to the Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor for approval. We are currently awaiting his acceptance. There are several serious shortcomings in the Council, ranging from financial liabilities to issues with registrations. We will initiate an investigation into this matter."
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"We have decided to dissolve the Council, and the Director of Health Services (DHS) will take over its responsibilities as the registrar. New registrations for our young doctors will continue under DHS. Once things are streamlined, we will hold elections in consultation with DHS. DHS will look after the Council's responsibilities until further orders," he further mentioned, adding that "Additionally, the tenure of president is also about to end."
The Delhi Medical Council is an autonomous statutory body enacted under the Delhi Medical Council Act 1997 to regulate the practice of the modern system of medicine in Delhi. DMC also ensures that private doctors in the city are following ethical practices.
DMC is the only statutory body in Delhi to handle complaints of medical negligence and professional misconduct in Delhi. It comprises of 25 members including eight elected by around 100,000 registered allopathic doctors in the city, one by the 20,000-member Delhi Medical Association, 10 by medical college faculties, four government nominees and two former officials.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Delhi Government sought clarifications from the Council regarding the allegations raised against Council President Dr Arun Gupta, Vice-President Dr. Naresh Chawla. After the Delhi Health and Family Welfare Department issued a show-cause notice to the Delhi Medical Council and threatened to take disciplinary action under the Delhi Medical Council Act 1997 including the dissolution of the Council, the Registrar resigned from his post.
Reportedly, even though the Council has repeatedly requested the Government to appoint a registrar, it did not receive any response, and now, the Government has proposed dissolving the Council under Section 29 of the 1997 Act.
Under Section 29 of the DMC Act, 1997, the Government has the power to dissolve the council if it believes that the council or its office-bearers have failed in their duties or exceeded their powers. The Government can appoint registered medical practitioners to carry out the council's functions in its place if corrective action is not taken within a reasonable time.
If the file gets approval from the Lieutenant Governor's office, then it will be the first time that so council will be dissolved since its inception in the year 1997.
Commenting on the matter, Dr Naresh Chawla, officiating president, DMC told The New Indian Express, "We have been asking the government to appoint a registrar for a long time. Instead, the government moved to dissolve the body. It’s neither in the favour of the medical fraternity, nor the public health."
