Date:29/03/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/03/29/stories/2005032914550500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Doctors may have to renew licence every 5 years

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, MARCH 28. The Andhra Pradesh Medical Council is considering making it mandatory for doctors to renew their medical licences every five years, according to its Chairman, C. Nageswara Rao. Medical graduates cannot practice unless they receive their licence from this Council.

Speaking at the inaugural of the council's renovated building here on Monday, Dr. Nageswara Rao said that re-registration of doctor's medical licence was a global practice and the State should take the lead in introducing this in India. "There is an explosion in knowledge and doctors need to update their knowledge to remain relevant," he pointed out.

Even though exams are the best way of ascertaining whether a doctor is conversant with latest advances in his area of specialisation, Dr. Nageswara Rao accepted that it might be difficult to immediately introduce this system as many doctors as well as the Indian Medical Association had opposed this move.

List of doctors

Dr. Nageswara Rao also exhorted the public and hospitals and clinics in the State to verify the qualifications of doctors before consulting or hiring them. He said a complete list of doctors licensed by the Council was available on their website {lt}www.apmedicalcouncil.com{gt}. The Finance Minister, K. Rosaiah, inaugurated the building. T.V. Krishna Rao, Vice Chairman of the Council and D. Bhaskar Rao, former Director of Medical Education also spoke.