Register continuing medical education hours, doctors told

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 02.06.2018
In a process that could help the state update its record of working doctors – for the first time since 1914 – the Tamil Nadu medical council has asked medical practitioners to register the number of hours of continuing medical education they attended since 2012 by the end of this year.

Those falling short of attending 30 hours of CME in five years, as required under the Indian Medical Council (Professional conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations 2002, will have to pay a “nominal” defaulters’ fee – a move that has brought the statutory body under fire from doctors’ associations.

The council is currently in the process of accrediting hospitals, medical colleges and doctors’ associations that can organise CME programmes recognised by it. Over the last one week, 37 medical institutions and 11 associations have registered with the council. From July 1, doctors or associations will have to furnish documentary proof of attendance since 2012. “Hospitals and associations will have to give us 72 hours prior intimation of a CME, and attendees will have to upload documents in the medical council website within 48 hours of attendance,” said Dr R V S Surendran, vice-president of the council.

Those unable to meet the required 30 hours by December 31 will have to pay a fine. “We had initially decided to charge them ₹100 for each hour they had missed,” said Dr Surendran. However, after a furore among doctors, the council has decided to revise the fine. A meeting will be held in Madurai on Sunday to decide the fine amount. “It will be nominal. The money will be used for maintain a database of these registrations,” said Dr Surendran.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has, however, resisted the step to monetarily penalise doctors. “CME programmes are held to enhance medical education. By this move, the council is encouraging ‘buying’ an hour of education,” said Dr Jayalal J A, president of Tamil Nadu chapter of IMA, which has 32,000 members. It has also objected to the council asking doctors to present themselves physically to register their credit hours instead of doing it online.

Dr Surendran said doctors will be asked to be physically present only if their online medical council accounts have been inactive for a long time. “One of our objectives in registering these CME credit hours is to map how many doctors are practising in the state,” said Dr Surendran.

Around 1.10 lakh doctors are in the council’s register. The earliest registrants date to 1914. The council’s office-bearers said at least 10% of those in their records may have passed away. “Another 10% may have left the state or country, and around 6-8% may not be practising,” said Dr Surendran, adding that those attending CME programmes would give them an indication of how many doctors continue to practice in the state.