Kolkata, 08 October (H.S.): West Bengal’s Health Department has officially restored the authority of Diploma in Medicine and Surgery (DMS) and Diploma in Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (DHMS) practitioners to issue birth and death certificates, following intense statewide protests by medical associations representing the two streams. The state health department issued a formal notification in this regard.

The decision comes in the wake of a massive demonstration held on Wednesday, where hundreds of DMS and DHMS doctors staged a protest in front of Swasthya Bhaban, the state health department headquarters located in Salt Lake, on the northern outskirts of Kolkata. The protesting practitioners also submitted a formal memorandum detailing their grievances to senior health officials.

According to historical records, DMS doctors were initially granted the authority to issue birth and death certificates back in 1964. Although this right was temporarily rescinded following the introduction of the DHMS course, it was reinstated in 1999 following a prolonged agitation by practitioners of both streams.

However, the issue resurfaced when the state health department issued a gazette notification on July 9 this year, revoking these powers once again and triggering widespread outrage across the state. The agitating doctors argued that practitioners holding DMS and DHMS qualifications had been legally incorporated into the Second Schedule after years of struggle, making them fully entitled to issue such certificates. They denounced the July notification as arbitrary, unjust, and undemocratic.

Highlighting the impact of the reversal, an office-bearer of the Medical Service Centre, the association that spearheaded the movement, stated, Currently, there are 34,000 DMS and DHMS doctors practicing in West Bengal. The July notification plunged their professional future into grave uncertainty and caused the public to question our credibility. Noting that these practitioners form the backbone of healthcare delivery in remote and rural areas, the spokesperson added that the restoration of these rights following the government's latest notification marks a significant victory for their movement.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh