NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the Centre and Delhi government’s stand on a plea concerning the non-acceptance of medical fitness certificates issued by Ayush and Unani doctors and other Indian practitioners of medicine for online registration or renewal of driving licenses even though such certificates are accepted offline.
Justice Rekha Palli, who was hearing a plea by an association of Ayurveda and Unani practitioners, ‘Integrated Medical Practitioners (AYUS), granted time to the Centre and Delhi government to take instructions on the plea.
Counsel for the petitioner Tanya Agarwal informed the court that the Transport Department’s software ‘Sarathi’ provided that practitioners holding only MBBS degree were eligible to issue fitness certificate.
“Prima facie, what you are saying is correct. It could be a mistake,” the judge said. The counsel responded saying, “That’s why our prayer is for modification of the software.”
In the petition, it was stated that the practitioners of Indian System of Medicine all across the country are entitled to issue medical certificates under the existing legal system.
“Till February 2021 the practitioners of Indian System of Medicine were authorized to issue medical certificate for the purposes of Fitness Certificate for registration/renewal of Driving Licenses. However, from March 2021 the respondents have made some changes in its software wherein it is now mentioned that the medical fitness certificate should be issued by M.B.B.S. doctors only,” the petition said.
The plea said that non-acceptance of the medical certificate issued by the practitioners of the Indian System of Medicine was a violation of their fundamental rights.