TGMC’s crackdown: 400 FIRs, raids, and reforms to tackle unlicensed medical practices
Hyderabad: In its fight against unauthorized medical practices, the Telangana State Medical Council (TGMC) ensured 400 First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed against unqualified practitioners across the state in the past year, according to latest data revealed by the TGMC.
According to Dr. G. Srinivas, Vice-Chairman of TGMC, the council has been prosecuting violators under Sections 34 and 54 of the National Medical Commission Act and Section 22 of the Telangana Medical Practitioners Registration Act (TSMPRAct). In a significant move against malpractice, the council has also issued notices to about 40 qualified doctors for allegedly supporting unqualified practitioners.
“Working closely with District Health Officials and Drug Control Authorities, TGMC has established a system for tracking and acting against illegal medical practices. District Medical Health Officers (DMHOs) seized several unauthorized healthcare centers, while the Drug Control Administration filed additional cases against individuals illegally possessing or selling scheduled drugs,” said G Srinivas.
Beyond enforcement actions, TGMC has implemented reforms to improve services for registered medical practitioners.Srinivas said, “The council has digitized its operations, introducing online renewals and good standing certificate issuance, eliminating the previous system where doctors had to wait in long queues with weighted papers to maintain their place. To support the medical community, the council has reduced registration and renewal fees by 50% for all doctors.”
Some of the other achievements of TGMC listed out by G Srinivas include clearing backlogged ethics committee cases since 2021, establishing a state-of-the-art doctor registration building recognized by the State Health Secretary and NMC EMRB chairman, conducting the first joint training and hands-on workshop with the National Medical Commission for experts handling misconduct and appeal cases, granting accreditation to six scientific doctors’ associations, including IMA Warangal, API, and ISA, for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programs in district areas, and creating a public awareness platform on social media to update the public about raids on unauthorized practitioners.
