Delhi HC upholds DMC mandate for allopathic doctors' registration, renewal

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has upheld the Delhi Medical Council's (DMC) notice mandating that doctors who practice allopathy in the national capital must be registered with DMC.

Ensuring high standard of medical practice and patient safety, the court insisted on the necessity for doctors to be registered with the DMC, and for their registration to be validated and renewed every five years.

The division bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Dr. Namit Gupta, challenging the DMC's notice.

Dr. Gupta had argued that the notice would inconvenience doctors registered with medical councils in other states, necessitating dual registration or the transfer of registration to the DMC.

The bench noted the public interest in DMC ensuring medical practitioners are under the regulatory oversight of the state medical council.

This oversight allows for the disciplining of medical professionals who engage in misconduct.

However, the court cited the National Medical Commission Act of 2019, noting significant changes from the earlier Indian Medical Council Act of 1956.

These changes suggest a legislative intent to limit medical practitioners to practicing only in the states where they are registered, dismissing concerns about the convenience of transferring registrations as unfounded.