By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 4: In a chilling exposure of institutional rot, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has revealed that a doctor in West Jaintia Hills practiced for 18 years without a valid Medical Council of India (MCI) registration. The report indicates the Meghalaya Health Department ignored its own warnings and multiple legal violations to keep the individual on the payroll.
The doctor, identified as Dr S Suja, was originally appointed in June 2004 on a temporary basis for only four months. However, in a move typical of backdoor entry tactics, she remained in service for nearly two decades without ever submitting the mandatory MCI registration certificate required at the time of appointment.
Under the Medical Council of India Act, 1956, and the Meghalaya Medical Council Act, 1987, a registration certificate is compulsory for practicing allopathic medicine. Violating these provisions is a criminal offense punishable by fines and imprisonment.
The audit highlights a staggering timeline of negligence. The Directorate of Health Services (MI) only requested the certificate in February 2012—eight years after Suja began treating patients. Although the District Medical & Health Officer (DMHO) of West Jaintia Hills confirmed in 2013 that the certificate was still missing, it took another year for the information to be relayed, suggesting a pattern of local patronage.
Despite five official reminders issued between 2012 and 2019, the doctor continued to serve. As of February 2023, the certificate remained unsubmitted, yet no disciplinary or legal action had been initiated against her.
The CAG observed that the Health & Family Welfare department failed to verify the doctor’s credentials or discontinue her services despite her non-compliance. The audit warned that allowing an unregistered professional to practice in government facilities poses significant risks to patient safety and the integrity of the rural healthcare system.
The report further cautioned that similar cases of medical professionals working without requisite qualifications across the state cannot be ruled out.
