Delhi HC dismisses plea challenging mandatory registration of doctors with DMC

Delhi High Court upholds mandatory registration for allopathic doctors in Delhi, ensuring accountability and public interest.

The Delhi High Court has rejected a plea challenging a notice of the Delhi Medical Council (DMC) making it mandatory for doctors practising allopathy in the Capital to be registered with it.

“The intent of making the medical practitioner amenable to the regulatory jurisdiction of the State Medical Council of State in which he/she practises is in public interest,” the court said in its order dated February 22.

It noted that the rule enables the State medical council to hold accountable erring medical practitioners for their wrongful conduct and take disciplinary against them in accordance with law.

Responding to a public interest litigation filed by Namit Gupta who sought quashing of the December 24, 2023 public notice issued by DMC, the High Court said there was no merit in the plea.

The DMC notice directed that all medical establishments, including hospitals, nursing homes, polyclinics, charitable dispensaries, and diagnostic centres, ensure the validity of DMC registration of the doctors before utilising their services and to ensure that the DMC registration of the doctors working therein is renewed every five years as per the DMC Act.

The DMC’s counsel submitted that the notice has been issued to curb the menace of professional misconduct by medical practitioners practising in the national capital.

The High Court said the petitioner’s contention that it would be inconvenient for a medical practitioner to seek transfer to a new state medical council in case of a transfer of job, is “without any basis”.