The Delhi Medical Council issue continues with the body functioning without a registrar.
Dr Ashwini Dalmiya recently took to X (formerly Twitter) with an urgent appeal: "Honourable CM Madam, Hundreds of students, doctors are suffering because of non-appointment of Registrar for 3 months in DMC. Routine work is suffering. Requesting to interfere."
Speaking to EdexLive, he reiterated his demands with urgency: "The government should appoint DHS immediately as the Health Ministry notified a couple of times. DHS should immediately take charge and get the routine works like registration, NOC, Good standing certificates, allotment of internship seats to FMGs, payment for website, salary of staff, rent, GST and all other statutory obligations done."
Students speak out
Behind the bureaucratic breakdown are real people whose careers hang in the balance.
An FMG, on the condition of anonymity, while speaking to EdexLive, revealed the devastating personal impact: "Indirectly, I am working for one year without payment and till the time I don't complete my permanent registration, I can't work anywhere else. This means we are unpaid and worse than slaves. At least slaves get the minimum wage."
The exploitation runs deeper than just financial hardship. "We are not even getting the minimum wage. And they make us work hard — the load is equal to a junior resident or a resident person who is working in that same hospital. And they tell us not to ask for the stipend. Otherwise, the hospitals will not give the seat. This means we can't ask for our rights in Delhi."
The anonymous doctor described the impossible situation: "In other states, FMGs are at least fighting for the stipend and getting it. We can't fight for the stipend because if we do, we will not get the seat and will have to waste a year.”
The system breakdown
Dr Ravi, another affected FMG, explains how the administrative crisis has created practical impossibilities. "The executive members are the elected members. They mainly deal with litigation and other aspects. And registrar deals with the registrations, whether it is provisional registration or permanent registration. And only the registrar is the signatory authority. He signs our licenses. But currently, DMC has no registrar," he explained.
The situation deteriorated further when basic infrastructure began failing. "I think two or three days ago, the website stopped working because the third-party agency who provides the website services was not paid," Dr Ravi noted.
This technical failure has real consequences.
The anonymous FMG explained: "After internship completion, permanent registrations need to be applied online. But the website is not working. So how will we apply? Our internship already took one and a half years to complete that one year, and yet there is nothing being done."
A vicious cycle
The crisis has created what Dr Ravi calls a "vicious cycle." Staff members, unpaid for three to four months, have essentially stopped working. This has led to deliberate obstruction, according to the anonymous FMG: "Since that news of DMC dissolving has been out, DMC workers literally started working at half capacity. Because the issue is, since the registrar is not there, they are not getting paid. The electricity bill is not being paid. There is no water. They are saying the internet is also not working."
The situation reached a breaking point recently: "They stopped the website,” The anonymous FMG added, “Recently, they turned off the lights and everything at DMC, saying that DMC is being dissolved and we should go and talk to DGHS instead."
Mental health and financial crisis
Beyond the administrative chaos lies a deeper crisis impacting the mental health of aspiring doctors. Dr Ravi was frank about the psychological impact: "First, mental health, I would say, is the issue people are suffering. Not only mentally, but financially too. Because in Delhi, we are not getting stipends. Only a few hospitals provide stipends."
The anonymous FMG described the cumulative effect: "We’ve faced issues since joining — first for non-teaching approval, which took daily visits to DMC and NMC, and then over the stipend."
The pattern repeats with every batch. "Every batch—new or middle batch, will face the same issue. And we have been facing the issue since we joined," the anonymous doctor said with resignation.
Promises without papers
Despite public statements from the Delhi Health Minister about appointing an acting registrar, no official action has materialised. Dr Ravi explained the bureaucratic limbo: "On paper, the minister said that he will appoint the new acting registrar but no official notice has been released. And without official notice, they can't do anything."
This administrative void has practical consequences. "Even if we take the legal route, the court would issue a notice to DMC. But without a registrar, who will respond?" Dr Ravi asked pointedly.
The anonymous FMG described their futile attempts to seek help: "We approached the DGHS, but they stated that they had not received any official notice or communication directing them to oversee the DMC or appoint a registrar. Hence, they claimed no responsibility."
Future Batches at Risk
With over 230 new internship seats recently released but no functional system to process registrations, the crisis threatens to expand. Dr Ravi noted: "Around 130 of my juniors were allotted internships last month. And even if these interns join the hospital, they will need a provisional registration. But since the registrar is not there, they will not be able to get their provisional registration."
The anonymous FMG was pessimistic about the future: "Every batch faces the same issue."
The solution, according to those affected, is straightforward. As Dr Ravi explained: "The government needs to appoint an acting registrar. If an acting registrar or permanent registrar is appointed, they can sign the necessary documents. The permanent registration matter will be solved. The people working at DMC will get their salary. The website will start working. Everything will be resolved. Only a registrar is needed. Without a registrar, you can't do anything. He's the person who needs to ultimately approve every single decision."
Conclusion
Qualified doctors remain trapped in what they describe as conditions "worse than slavery," their careers indefinitely postponed by bureaucratic inaction. The DMC website remains down, staff continues to work at reduced capacity, and hundreds of medical graduates find themselves in professional purgatory.
The question remains unanswered: How long will the system allow qualified doctors to suffer while the bureaucracy that should support them crumbles around them?
