Maharashtra Government Appoints New Maharashtra Medical Council Body

The Maharashtra Medical Council is set to function under an elected and nominated body after the state government issued an official notification on August 14 in Mumbai, nearly four months after council elections were held on April 26.

The government notification formally appointed five nominated members and notified nine elected members for a five-year term, ending the council's functioning under an administrator.

The Indian Medical Association-backed panel led by Dr Santosh Kadam won eight of the nine elected seats in the council elections. The nine elected members are Dr Santosh Kadam, Dr Sanjay Kadam, Dr Nilesh Nikam, Dr Sanjay Deshpande, Dr Sunil Ingle, Dr Anilkumar Patil, Dr Mangesh Gulwade, Dr Ujwala Karad and Dr Anil Pachnekar.

The five government-nominated members named in the notification are Dr Ajay Govind Keni, Dr Rahul Kulkarni, Dr Prashant Narayan Chaudhari, Dr Rajiv Yerdekar and Dr Chandrashekhar Gillurkar.

In total, the 18-member council comprises nine elected members, five government-nominated members and four ex-officio members who represent state health authorities, including the Director of Health Services and the Director of Medical Education and Research.

Welcoming the notification, Dr Kadam stated that a meeting is normally convened within six weeks of the notification to hand over the council to the newly elected members.

The previous Maharashtra Medical Council was elected in December 2016 and completed its five-year tenure in 2021. Subsequent elections due in 2022 were repeatedly delayed after the state government dissolved the council and placed the regulatory body under an administrator. Following the April 2024 elections, the council remained under an administrator for more than three months while the government finalised the five required nominations, which delayed decisions on patient complaints, doctor registrations and regulatory matters.