Bhopal:In an attempt to keep the medical registry updated, the Madhya Pradesh Medical Council will soon be introducing a system for renewing doctors’ registrations every five years. Established under the Madhya Pradesh Medical Council Act, 1987, the council has registered 63,423 doctors to date, but a lack of verification at regular intervals has left the records outdated.
Neither the state government nor the council has much information about how many registered doctors are working in the state, let alone those who have left the state, retired, or passed away. In the verification drive that was conducted two years ago, it was found that only 24,000 doctors out of 63,000 responded. Now, the council is drafting a proposal to implement mandatory renewal. Once ready, it will be sent for cabinet approval.
The Madhya Pradesh Medical Council is the state agency that registers medical graduates from state colleges and those practicing in the state. However, since its formation, no strict rule was laid for periodic renewal of registrations. This led to outdated records, with addresses of about 70% of registered doctors remaining unverified.
Dr. Rakesh Malviya, Chief Convener of the Government Autonomous Doctors Federation, emphasized the need for reform. “Periodic renewal is essential to maintain an updated database of doctors. It will help track how many are still in the state, how many have moved abroad, and how many passed away,” he said.
The Federation recently submitted a proposal to the state health department, requesting to incorporate a five-year renewal rule. Dr. Malviya added, “This will not only improve governance but also ensure greater accountability among medical practitioners.”
Amidst these developments, the Medical Council began the process of electing new members, a process occurring after nearly a decade. As part of the election preparations, the council began verifying addresses of registered doctors on December 5 and by now only 945 doctors have updated their details.