State medical councils demand amendments in IMC and SMC Acts

Jayashree Padmini - New Delhi

The State Medical Councils (SMCs) have demanded a complete revamp of the Indian Medical Council Act with the amendments being formulated in consultation with the SMCs.

Says Dr S M Sapatnekar, administrator, Maharashtra Medical Council, “A complete revamp of the IMC Act is necessary at this point rather than going ahead with the proposed amendments which has been pending for clearance for quite sometime.

Interface is yesterday’s concept, today we need a much broader canvas and we need to evolve a common goal share concern before we augment the interface.” This was proposed in the first of its kind interactive workshop of the SMCs held in New Delhi recently.

Other participating SMCs echoed a similar sentiment and emphasized on the need for having statutory powers. Dr Sapatnekar has suggested for a cybernetic-neural model and he says, “We need to avoid overlap, obviate no-man’s-land and emulate health Centre-State relationship.”

It is also learnt that the SMCs would have to amend their Acts to fall in line with the uniformity concepts they are looking forward to as well as to arm themselves with more statutory powers. It has been decided that the SMCs would forward a copy of the State Medical Council Act to the Centre, which would put in efforts to bring in uniformity in the legislation. Sources in the Directorate of Technical Education, Health informed that the responses from the SMCs are awaited.

The major issues SMCs looking at incorporating in their Act, taking inspiration from the DMC Act include, empowering to regulate medical profession, speedy expedition of cases of medical negligence, compulsory CME which is to be linked with re-registration every five years and anti-quackery measures. “The Medical Council of India is not equipped to regulate across the country as it is understaffed and with the growing number of medical colleges over time the Centre should designate SMCs for the task” was the view that evolved during the discussions. In order to take on unethical medical practices the SMCs want the government to bring in necessary policy frame work, laws and support resources.

The participants have arrived at a consensus regarding adopting the model of the Delhi Medical Council which is empowered itself through the DMC Act and has implementation authority in matters related to regulating medical profession and related areas.

The SMCs have framed the draft suggestions which would now be forwarded to the Government of India, said Dr S K Khatri, Registrar & Secretary, Delhi Medical Council.