CHENNAI: Madras High Court has held that persons with a diploma in community medical service and essential drugs cannot run primary healthcare clinics without recommendations from either the MCI or AYUSH department. Justice M Dhandapani dismissed petitions filed by diploma holders seeking orders to restrain the health department from interfering with running primary healthcare clinics.
He noted that provisions of the relevant law make it clear that registered medical practitioner means a person who possesses any of the government-recognised medical qualifications and is enrolled with councils for medical, dental, Siddha, Ayurveda, Unani or homoeopathy or the board of Indian medicine recognised by TN government. A doctor means a registered medical practitioner offering consultations or treatment under allopathy or AYUSH.
“In the absence of any recommendation from the MCI or AYUSH department, the petitioners are not entitled to run a clinic anywhere in Tamil Nadu. Hence, the claim made in the writ petitions cannot be entertained and the relief sought cannot be granted,” Justice Dhandapani said. The petitioners claimed that they are entitled to run clinics in rural areas as they are qualified with a diploma in community medical service and essential drugs and had never posed themselves as doctors.