CHENNAI: The ongoing feud over the registrar’s post between two factions within the Tamil Nadu Medical Council has become more pronounced recently. In fact, this has impacted the issuing of registration certificates, which are mandatory for practice and post-graduation courses, for the past couple of days.
Sources said the council receives about 60 daily applications from doctors, who can only get the registration process done but will not be able to receive the certificate, for which the registrar and president form the signatory authority.
Tamil Nadu Medical Council, a statutory body established under the Tamil Nadu Registration Act, 1914, performs registration of doctors. The council also maintains the registry of practising doctors in Tamil Nadu, besides acting as the disciplinary body for doctors. After verification, the council provides registration numbers and certificates to doctors.
The current issue dates back to December when the extended tenure of registrar Dr S Kandasamy ended. Citing illness and old age, he submitted a request to the council on January 5 to relieve him. Sources said he stopped attending office after suffering a stroke in mid-February but continued signing certificates till last Thursday.
Matters took a turn for the worse on Friday when State council president Dr K Senthil made arrangements to bring in another person as registrar. He argued that the present registrar wasn’t in office for over two months and noted that monthly transactions of the council amounted to almost `20 lakh.
But the rival faction objected strongly. “According to council rules, the new registrar should be appointed only with the concurrence of council members in the general council meeting. But the president didn’t follow the rule,” said a member.
Dr Senthil countered that the general council could not be convened as it was challenged in the Madras High Court.
“So, in an extraordinary situation, I sought a legal opinion (on Dr Kandasamy) and sent a circular to relieve him based on that. In response, five council members agreed, while the remaining five didn’t. As the president, I exercised my casting vote to break the tie but some are opposing that now. In effect, there is no registrar at the moment, so registrations can’t be done. I have instructed them not to do any,” Dr Senthil added.
This has left the other faction fuming, who got together to select Dr P Balakrishnan as the new president on Tuesday. Though both factions claim the support of five members each, the nomination of one of the members in Dr Senthil’s faction has been challenged before the court, thus giving rivals a technical upper hand.
“The council elected me as president. We met health department officials and submitted the documents. Dr Senthil is acting against bylaws; he can’t remove or appoint anyone without the convening general council meeting,’ said Dr P Balakrishnan.
It may be noted that the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court had ruled last month that Dr Senthil was the president of the council.
No sign of general council polls