AYUSH Doctors see red over high fees for registration renewal
Nagpur: The AYUSH doctors across the state are criticizing a new policy introduced by the Maharashtra Council of Indian Medicines (MCIM). The mandate requires these practitioners to renew their registrations by earning credits through an MCIM-affiliated online Continuing Medical Education (CME) platform, which could cost them up to ₹50,000 over a span of five years.
The proposed policy stipulates that AYUSH doctors must accumulate 50 credit points to renew their registration. Of these, a minimum of 30 points must be earned via an online CME platform affiliated with MCIM, while the remaining 20 points can be gathered through traditional CME programs. The online platform, managed by a private firm, is charging ₹1,100 per lecture, raising concerns among the doctors about the financial burden this places on them.
AYUSH doctors have voiced strong objections to this mandate, alleging that the process is riddled with irregularities. Many are calling for a review of the policy, citing the high costs and questioning the fairness and transparency of the system. As the debate intensifies, the medical community is urging the authorities to reconsider the financial implications of this new requirement on the state's AYUSH practitioners.
Talking to Medical Dialogues, Dr Mohan Yende, general secretary of the National Integral Medical Association (NIMA), Maharashtra stated, “Before 2019 the renewal used to cost Rs 50 only; however, in 2019 MCM increased the registration cost to Rs. 2000 for 5 years. NIMA challenged the new rules in Mumbai High Court and the case is still going on. The national body of registration regulation amended its rules in October 2023 and stated that all doctors should score 50 credit points for their upgradation of medical knowledge.”
“However, to access the videos, the doctors have to pay Rs. 1100 per video and this is preposterous. We have no problem gaining more academic knowledge through the system of credit points but imposing this hefty sum on the doctors cannot be accepted, especially considering that they are serving pre-recorded videos and the session is not interactive. They should have surveyed the matter properly or communicated with different doctors’ organizations before drafting such a new policy,” he added.
