A controversy has erupted around the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) over the appointment procedure for its new registrar. On 25 October, the state health department, headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, cancelled the reappointment of Registrar Manas Chakraborty, effective 1 November 2019.
This action was taken because the WBMC did not obtain approval from the state government before reappointing him. Mr. Chakraborty served as registrar from 2016 to his retirement on 31 October 2019. In a letter to Dr. Sudipta Roy, the health department directed him to appoint a new registrar to replace Mr. Chakraborty. To appoint the new registrar, the state medical council published an open advertisement in newspapers on 7 December. The advertisement invited interested candidates with a maximum age limit of 35 years, with the application deadline set for 1 January 2024.
This has sparked significant controversy. Some senior WBMC employees expressed concern that this advertisement allowed individuals who had never worked for the council to apply for the registrar position. They also pointed out that the selected candidate could potentially serve as registrar for up to 25 years based on the age limit criteria. Traditionally, the WBMC appointed its registrar by promoting an assistant registrar or an upper division assistant (UDA) with extensive experience within the council. This practice has been followed since 1990.
The post of registrar was typically filled by promoting qualified internal candidates. Age was not a significant factor in these appointments. Former registrars Dilip Ghosh and Mr. Chakraborty were both appointed through this traditional process of promotion. The Bengal Medical Act of 1914 mandates that the WBMC obtain clearance from the state government before appointing a registrar. However, the council has not adhered to this requirement since Mr. Chakraborty’s appointment.
Assistant Registrar Swarup Dutta has filed complaints with Principal Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam, the Director of Medical Education, the Director of Health Services, and Dr. Roy, challenging the advertisement and the appointment process. Sources within the health department suggest that Mr. Dutta, with over 13 years of service as the senior-most assistant registrar at the WBMC, would have been a suitable candidate for the position if the council had followed the traditional promotion-based appointment process.
Junior and senior doctors have been highly critical of Mr. Chakraborty’s reappointment and the activities of the WBMC led by Dr. Roy, particularly following the rape and murder of a woman doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College Hospital on 9 August.