New Delhi, July 3 — In the wake of the dissolution of the Delhi Medical Council (DMC) over alleged irregularities and administrative lapses, doctors across the capital are calling for online elections to ensure fair and inclusive reconstitution of the regulatory body.
In a letter addressed to Delhi Health Minister Dr. Pankaj Kumar Singh, the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) emphasized the urgent need to reform the electoral process. The association noted that past DMC elections have suffered from a lack of transparency and limited accessibility, particularly for overburdened healthcare professionals.
Highlighting the challenges faced by resident doctors, postgraduate trainees, and young practitioners, FAIMA argued that the traditional offline voting mechanism prevents many eligible voters from participating due to demanding hospital duties. This, the association claimed, has led to poor representation of young doctors within the Council.
“A large proportion of resident doctors and young practitioners are unable to exercise their voting rights due to the demanding nature of their duties, especially in government hospitals,” FAIMA stated in the letter. “This results in skewed representation that does not reflect the aspirations and concerns of the younger generation of doctors.”
FAIMA has now appealed to the Delhi government to implement an online voting system for upcoming elections to the DMC. Such a system, they argue, would:
- Facilitate universal participation, regardless of duty hours or location
- Increase transparency and credibility in the election process
- Encourage greater involvement of the next generation of medical professionals
“On Doctor’s Day, when the nation honors the contribution of its healthcare heroes, it is imperative to empower them with a democratic and inclusive representation system,” the association added, urging the minister to issue directions for operationalizing online elections.
The Delhi Medical Council, constituted under the Delhi Medical Council Act, 1997, serves as the sole statutory authority overseeing medical practice, ethics, and cases of negligence in the capital. With the Council now dissolved, doctor registrations have temporarily been handed over to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), as previously reported.
Lt Governor V.K. Saxena had approved the dissolution of the DMC amid allegations of mismanagement and directed the Delhi Health Department to reconstitute the Council within two months.
The DMC typically comprises 25 members, including eight elected by nearly 1 lakh registered doctors in Delhi, 10 elected from medical college faculties, four nominated by the government, two ex-officio members, and one elected by the Delhi Medical Association.
As the healthcare community awaits reconstitution of the DMC, FAIMA’s call reflects growing demand for modernization and inclusivity in the governance of the medical profession.
