Registered medical practitioners in the State are fuming over the apparent “high-handedness” of the State Medical Council, which they allege is trying to make a fast buck out of doctors through the registration process.
The bone of contention seems to be the high security hologram registration certificates being issued by the Travancore Cochin Council of Modern Medicine (TCMC), as part of the registration renewal process, for which the council is now charging ₹10,000 (including the late fee and fine).
This has not gone down well with many medical practitioners in the State, some of whom have now decided not to renew their registration and “succumb to this loot,” while some others said that they would challenge the decision at appropriate fora.
The TCMC announced the registration renewal process five years ago, through its website and notices issued in newspapers. The fee then was ₹2,000.
Sparking debate
The final deadline for re-registration had been fixed as August 31, 2018. The TCMC’s decision to charge ₹10,000 for renewals past the deadline has sparked a debate amongst doctors in social media, with many not mincing their words about the tyrannical attitude of the Council.
“According to the information received through RTI, the TCMC entered into a contract with C-DIT for printing the high security hologram certificate in 2009 and the cost of one such certificate works out to be ₹5.85. Issue of hologram certificates by universities or driving licences by the State are routine affairs now, for which additional charges are not levied. There is no rationale in the TCMC charging such a huge amount for something that costs less than ₹6,” says K.V. Babu, a doctor and public health activist.
Names missing
“Many of us did not know about the deadline. Even if we crossed the deadline, charging a fee of ₹10,000 is a rip-off by the council,” says C.P. Janardhanan, a Thalassery-based clinician whose career spans 25 years.
At present, the names of several doctors, who are yet to re-register, do not allegedly figure on the registered doctors’ list on the TCMC website.
While it is not sure whether their names have actually been removed from the register or not, doctors point out that the council cannot do this without informing them in advance by registered post, as per the TCMC Act Rule 77.
Doctors argue that the Delhi Medical Council is charging ₹500 as late fee for non-renewal of registration, for up to six months from the due date. For six months to one year, the late fee is ₹1,000 after which, ₹1,000 is charged for every year of non-renewal.
TCMC’s take
K. Mohanan, a member of the TCMC, said that the council had decided on a late fee of ₹10,000 past the final deadline, as many doctors still seemed not bothered about registration renewal.
“The TCMC does not have a clear idea of how many doctors are practising in the State now as even the names of deceased as well as those who left the State still figure in the register. Many doctors have chosen not to take the TCMC directive seriously and think that their registration is forever. The MCI had at one point insisted that registration of doctors be renewed every five years and that each doctor should have 30 hours of CME as credits. Kerala is yet to implement that provision,” Dr. Mohanan says.
