Ranchi, April 16: The recent “instruction” of the Indian Medical Association Academy of Medical Sciences asking all doctors in the state, including those registered with the Medical Council of Bihar, to get themselves registered with the Jharkhand medical council has stirred a hornet’s nest.

The controversy started when the Indian Medical Association Academy of Medical Sciences (IMAAMS), on behalf of the Medical Council of Jharkhand, asked all doctors residing or practising in Jharkhand to register themselves with the state medical council, which was constitute two months ago. The statement was made by the academy’s secretary, Ajay Kumar Singh. However, this was not taken well by the Ranchi unit of Indian Medical Association.

Unit secretary Shekhar Chaudhary Kajal told The Telegraph the academy had “overstepped” its “jurisdiction”. “The academy is concerned with the various aspects of medical sciences. It has nothing to do with registration of doctors. We strongly oppose any “whimsical instructions” from the academy,” Kajal said.

According to him, doctors, who are already registered with the Medical Council of Bihar, need not register gain. However, if at all there is a need for registration, the instruction should have come from the council or the state government and not from the academy, he said.

Medical Council of Jharkhand registrar Amar Kumar Singh said: “Registration with the state medical council is “mandatory” only for medical students of the state. For those who are already registered with Medical Council of Bihar it is not compulsory. However, we advice them to get themselves registered with the council as it will help us to maintain a database of all the doctors residing or practising in Jharkhand.”

The state medical council registrar said since the doctors in question are already registered with the Medical Council of Bihar, only a nominal fee of Rs 500 will be charged for postal and stationery charges, whereas for fresh (permanent) registration the charges are Rs 1,000.

“The move is aimed at maintaining a record of all the doctors, whether in government or private hospitals. If the council does not have a record of the doctors how can they be called doctors of Jharkhand?” he asked.

Academy secretary Ajay Kumar Singh said he had not “instructed” but merely “requested” the doctors, in their own interest, to get themselves re-registered. He said besides helping in preparing a database, re-registration will also make enable them to contest the elections for three posts in 10-member state medical council.

He said: “They should understand that re-registration is just a kind of transfer of their registration from Bihar to Jharkhand. Their registration number will not change.