"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
5 Oct 2017 215
The Medical Council of India (MCI) has decided to issue a Unique Permanent Registration Number (UPRN) to all medical practitioners in the country. This move will help to curb duplicate registrations and quackery. It will also facilitate the regularization of medical practice, and ensure bond discipline.
Ramesh Rohiwal, an official from the Indian Medical Association, Aurangabad said that this system will be of great help to doctors who have to change places of their work. “Earlier, doctors who migrated, faced difficulties since they were registered with the medical council of a different state. The UPRN will help such doctors. It will also make it easy to search for registration of doctors,“ said Rohiwal.
The medical fraternity has welcomed the MCI move. However, doctors in Maharashtra face a hurdle as registration has to be renewed every five years in the state.
This rule in Maharashtra exists as doctors are required to complete one year and two-year bonds for their registration renewal. This is for doctors who completed their graduation, post-graduation and super-specialty degrees from government medical colleges between 1980 and 2000.
However, many doctors couldn’t serve the bonds due to unavailability of vacancies in government hospitals and started practicing privately. Rohiwal said that now while renewing the registration, they are being asked for the bond free certificate and are required to pay compensation for not serving the bond.