In a first, Maharashtra may opt for online Medical Council polls

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) elections, which have been delayed for eight months, could be held online this year, marking a first for the council.
The state’s medical education ministry that has been deliberating between digital and physical elections has already sought out companies with expertise in holding online polls, sources said.
The tenure of the last governing body of the council ended on August 7, 2022, but the state government has failed to hold elections.The government appointed JJ Hospital dean Dr Pallavi Saple as an administrator for a period of one year or till the new council is duly constituted. This prompted the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to file a PIL in the Bombay High Court, demanding immediate elections and the removal of the administrator. A senior state official said that the decision to hold online elections was made after the previous election in 2017 saw only a 30% turnout. “Many doctors from rural and interior areas couldn’t cast their ballot in person. This forced us to think how to increase their participation,” the official added.
“With over 1.8 lakh registered doctors, of which 1.3 lakh are active, a 30% turnout is minuscule,” said the official. The MMC is a 58-year-old quasi-judicial body that grants licences to allopathic doctors and has the power to punish erring medical practitioners if they are found negligent. It is one of the foremost agencies that an aggrieved patient can approach for irregularities. The IMA and former MMC members have been upset with the state’s repeated failure to hold polls on time for a body that plays such critical roles.
Dr Jayesh Lele, senior vice president of IMA (national), said that the body had reminded the medical education department in September that the members' tenure was ending, but instead of extending the tenure of the existing council, which is allowed under the Maharashtra Medical Council Act, the government dissolved it and appointed an administrator in October. Despite writing to the chief minister, no “imperative action” was taken either.
Former members of the MMC criticised the decision to dissolve the council, stating that such a drastic move is typically reserved for instances of abuse of power or other serious allegations. They added that the dissolution has hindered day-to-day operations.
In addition to granting medical licences, the MMC also upholds ethical standards and regulates doctors’ self-promotion and advertising practices. However, the IMA’s PIL claimed the appointed administrator was only able to conduct one ethical committee meeting between October and December, with no executive or general body meetings held during that period.
State officials contested the claim and said the count of pending medical negligence complaints has come down from 700 to 500 due to multiple meetings held. The next hearing on the PIL has been scheduled for June.