Andhra Pradesh opens doors to doctors nationwide, scraps state registration hurdle
The new rules, according to experts, will help open Andhra’s doors to doctors across India and make the state a destination for medical tourism. With this, Andhra Pradesh becomes the first state to remove registration barriers for doctors from across India
An order to this effect was issued on June 11 by the department of health and family welfare in AP (File photo) In a first in the country, doctors from across India will be allowed to practise in Andhra Pradesh without them registering independently with Andhra Pradesh Medical Council. Doctors from other states will also be exempted from taking a No Objection Certificate from the state or union territory they are registered with before practicing in Andhra Pradesh.
With this, Andhra Pradesh becomes the first state to remove registration barriers for doctors from across India.
An order to this effect was issued on June 11 by the department of health and family welfare in AP. The order read: “In pursuance of the policy decision of the Government under PA-19 (Priority Area -19) and in order to facilitate ease of practice for qualified medical practitioners, the Government of Andhra Pradesh hereby notifies that any person possessing a recognized medical qualification and holding a valid registration with any State Medical Council or Union Territory Medical Council in India shall be permitted to practice in the State of Andhra Pradesh”.
The current law requires doctors registered under a state medical council to deregister from their state of practice and secure a No Objection Certificate to re-register and practice in another state. This is the norm that the new order seeks to change. It states that the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council “may obtain such particulars, declarations and information through its online portal as may be required for verification and maintenance of records”.
This, however, does not mean that the state will exempt “any medical practitioner from compliance with the provisions of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, applicable regulations, professional ethics, disciplinary proceedings or any other law for the time being in force”.
The new rules, according to experts, will help open Andhra’s doors to doctors across India and make the state a destination for medical tourism.
“The process of taking No Objection Certificate from one state and reapplying for registration in the state where one would like to serve, is a cumbersome process,” Dr Babu KV, who is a registered medical practitioner in Kerala and central working committee member of Indian Medical Association.
Dr Babu has written to the Medical Council of India to take Andhra Pradesh as an example and exempt doctors from taking medical registration in different states. He said: “As such there is no necessity of registration in more than one State Medical Council because any doctor, who has registered with any State Medical Council is automatically registered in the Indian Medical Register and also by virtue of Section 27of the IMC Act, 1956, a person, whose name is included in the IMR, can practise anywhere in India”.
The separate registration processes in each of the states makes practice difficult for doctors, Dr Babu said. He added: “I sincerely hope that the NMC will take this seriously and allow doctors to freely practice in any state of India once any state has granted a registration”.
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