Roles and Responsibilities of Nagaland Medical Council

The Nagaland Medical Council (NMC) constituted under the Nagaland Medical Council Act of 2014, and as a mandatory requirement of Medical Council of India has been formed. The Council shall henceforth function as a statutory body under the MCI act of 1956, to fulfil its duties for health care professional in particular, the doctors and in general, to the people of the state with impartiality to the best of its ability. Apart from getting all the doctors who practice Allopathic form of modern medicine registered in the state, it will fulfil its duties which also includes duties to the proposed medical college, and to see that doctors adhere strictly to the Medical Council of India’s Code of Medical Ethics. The following are the announcement of the Council.

1. All doctors in the state have to register under the Nagaland Medical Council. All other registration from other states will have to transfer their registration under the Nagaland Medical Council. The doctors are requested to bring all their original certificates for registration and to present it to the Deputy Registrar’s Office at Paramedical Training Institute, Kohima.

The Nagaland Medical Council wants to do its outmost to help streamline the medical fraternity and the practice of medicine in the state. To achieve this, it will involve the following activities besides registration and scrutiny of degrees of the doctors.

2. Nagaland Medical Council will be available to hearing complaints against negligence or unethical activities against doctors. Complaints should be given in writing, addressed to the Registrar of Nagaland Medical Council. Each complain will be scrutinised and the offending doctor will be called to defend his actions. Appropriate action, even to the extent of the removal of the name from the state register will be enforced when needed. Such doctors whose names are removed will not be allowed to practice in the state.

3. The Council will strengthen the Health and Family Welfare department and the appropriate authorities to implement health law for the welfare of the people in the state.

4. Ethical medical practice with proper obedience to orders of department of Health and Family Welfare for those in government service, along with proper registration of Health Care Establishments for clean, safe and proper practice of the medical profession will be emphasised. Doctors are requested to strictly abide by the Code of Medical Ethics laid down

by the MCI. This Code of Ethics will be strictly enforced by the Nagaland Medical Council. Doctors are encouraged to perform their duties in letter and spirit, which includes services in the remote areas of the state.

5.The Council will also work towards ensuring that the doctors of the state update their knowledge and keep in touch with the medical advances be making attendance of continuing medical education a mandatory part of the activity of all clinical practicing doctors. Unless a doctor attends the mandatory requirement of the medical council’s academic activity, their registration for practicing clinically after 5 years will not be reconsidered. This in turn will help doctors of the state have the incentive to keep themselves updated and relevant resulting in better health care to the people of the state.

6. The Nagaland Medical Council will also work towards looking after the welfare of the medical fraternity. A committee for the protection of doctors has been formed under the Council and will address issues towards this goal.

7. Nagaland Medical Council will also give suggestions to the Health and Family Welfare Department when needed for the ethical functioning of health care delivery to the people of the state.

The Nagaland Medical Council will welcome suggestions from both within the medical fraternity and from the general public on ways that we can improve the health care delivery in the state. We will work with honesty, transparency and fairness to our appointed responsibility for the welfare of the people of our state.

(Dr. Joyce Zinyu Angami)
President
Nagaland Medical Council